m 


IB 

II  \j 

I 


GIFT   OF 
Prof.    C.    A.   Kofoid 


GRAPHIC  SKETCHES 


OF 


THE  WEST 


BY 

HENRY  BRAINARD  KENT. 


CHICAGO 

R.  R.   DONNELLEY   &  SONS,   PUBLISHERS 
1890 


SERVATION 
LACEMENT 


Hi  4-3 


COPYRIGHT  1880 

HY 
THE   WESTFIELD    PAPER   CO. 


To 

MY  GENIAL  COMPANION  IN  TRAVEL, 
ELWIN  R.  KENT,  ESQ., 

("THE  SECRETARY") 

THESE  PAGES  ARE  FRATERNALLY  INSCRIBED. 


M167633 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 
FLIGHT  TO  TROPICAL  CLIMES. 


Taking  Leave  of  Boreas.  —  "In  Search  of  Winter  Sun-beams." 
Scenes  and  Incidents  along  the  Route.  —  The  International 
Hopper.  —  Mischief  of  a  Mountain  Fairy.  —  New  Mexico. 
—  The  Pacific  Coast.  —  Solid  Comfort  -  . 


CHAPTER    II. 
SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA. 

Los  Angeles,  —  Eastern  People  Seeking  a  Sanitarium.  —  Booms  in 

Real  Estate.  —  How  the  Newcomer  is  Entertained 28 

CHAPTER    III. 
IN  PURSUIT  OF  GAME. 

Operating  in  Jack  Rabbits.  —  The  Secretary  and  his  Wild  Meat 
Enterprise  — Amateur  Sporting  League. — The  Degenerate 
Jack.  —  Wild  Game  of  the  Pacific  Slope 44 

CHAPTER    IV. 
CLIMBING  THE  SIERRA  MADRES. 

A  Feat  of  Pedestrianism.  —  Ascent  to  the  Top  of  Mount  Wilson. 

—  Half- Way   House.  —  A    Treacherous    Spot    in    the    Trail. 

—  Other    Perplexities.  —  Overcoming  Snow-bound   Steeps.  — 
Panorama  From  the  Summit.  —  A  Novel  Ride..  .     61 


CHAPTER  V. 
RAMBLBS  BY  RAIL 

San  Gabriel  — Ontario.  —  San  Bernardino.  —  Riverside.  —  Princi- 
pal Towns  on  the  Coast.  —  Peculiar  Flora  of  the  Coast  Range. 
—  Retrospect 75 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 
INTO  THE  HEART  OF  THE  SIERRAS. 

The  Ride  Through  the  San  Joaquin. — A  German  Financier  and 
Government  Prices.  —  Gold  Mines,  Deer,  Pigeons  and  Quails. 
—  "  Big  Tree  "  Station.  —  The  Summit.- — Inspiration  Peak..  87 

CHAPTER  VII. 

EARTH'S  CROWNING  GLORY. 

A  Fairyland  of  Picturesque  Scenes  in  the  Yosemite  —  El  Capitan 
and  His  Battalion  of  Boulders  and  Monoliths.  —  Rides  and 
Rambles  About  the  Valley.  —  Tracing  Canons. —  Imposing 
Cataracts  —  Inspiring  Peaks.  —  Dizzy  Heights.  —  Kaleido- 
scopic Scenes. —  Never-ending  Beauties .... 101 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  MAMMOTH  TREES. 

The  Mariposa  and  Calaveras  Groves.  —  Vegetable  Curiosities. — 
"  Grizzly  Giant."  —  "  Wawona."  —  Other  Celebrities  and 
Other  Prolific  Species  of  the  Sierras.  — The  Fifty  Mile  Flume.  120 

CHAPTER  IX. 

OBJECTS  OF  INTEREST  IN  THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 

San  Francisco  and  Its  Superb  Hotels.  —  Golden  Gate  Park.  —  Cliff 
House. — Chinatown. — San  Francisco  to  Mount  Shasta. — 
Lake  County.  —  The  Geysers.  —  Petrified  Forest.  —  Wild 
Mountain  Staging.  —  Blue  Lakes.  —  Saratoga  Springs.  —  Re- 
creations  134 

CHAPTER  X. 
THE  CLIMATE  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Local  and  Other  Opinions. —  Theory  of  Uniform  Temperature. 
—  A  Fine  Winter  Resort.  —  The  Warmer  Months.  —  Heat  of 
the  Interior  Valleys.  —  The  Coast. — Northern  California. — 
Its  Foot  Hills  and  Mountain  Retreats.  —  Thermal  Belt.— 
Precaution .__ 149 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTER  XL 
THE  CITY  OF  THE  SAINTS. 

Leaving  the  "  Golden  State."  — Crossing  the  Sierras.  —  The  Desert 
Ride.  —  Salt  Lake  City  and  Its  Picturesque  Environments.  — 
'Features  of  Interest.  —  Temple  Block. — Strange  Institutions. 
—  A  Noted  Mormon  Avenue.  —  The  City  and  Its  People.  — A 
Boy's  Opinion  of  His  Grandfather __ 167 

CHAPTER  XII. 
IN  PURSUIT  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 

Indoor  and  Outdoor  Mormonism.  — The  Soul  of  the  System.  — The 
Communicative  Saint  Who  Had  Traveled  a  Long  Road  — 
Mormonism  the  Exponent  of  all  Wisdom.  —  Plural  Marriage. 
-  The  Second  Revelation  Knocks  Out  the  First.  —  Whatever 
the  Church  Says  is  Right.  —  Development  of  the  Gods 186 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
STATEHOOD  FOR  UTAH. 

Sudden  Stampede  of  the  Saints  —  "  The  Peoples'  Party  "  and  Their 
Bid  to  the  Gentiles. — The  Proposed  Constitution.  —  Fine 
Diplomatic  Distinctions. — Vital  Parts  of  Mormonism. —  Trap 
Doors.  —  Monogamists.  —  Martyrs. —  Make  up  of  Mormondom  204 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
FROM  THE  JORDAN  TO  THE  UNCOMPAHGRE. 

Utah  Valley.  — Over  the  Wasatch. —Wonders  of  the  Price  River. 
—  Castle  Gate  and  Canon.  —  Rock-hewn  Battlements.  —  Na- 
ture's Architecture.  —  Castle  of  Torquilston  and  Its  Strange 
Occupants. —The  Uncompahgre  Valley 223 

CHAPTER    XV. 
OVER  THE  ROCKIES. —  MONTROSE  TO  MANITOU. 

Cimarron.  —  Black  Canon  of  the  Gunnison.  —  Its  Distinctive 
Features.  —  Chippeta  Falls.  —  Currecanti  Needle.  —  Climbing 
the  Steeps.  —  Among  the  Clouds.  —  Marshall  Pass.  —  Grand 
Canon  of  the  Arkansas. — The  Royal  Gorge.  —  Whither  are 
We  Bound?— Tartarus  or  Elysium?  — Pike's  Peak,  Manitou 
and  Garden  of  the  Gods . 233 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Scenes  in  the  Golden  State,     -  -            -            -                14 

Starting  for  the  Tropics,  -  .             -             -           17 

A  Canon  of  the  Gallinas,         ...  21 

Pueblo  Indians,  New  Mexico.       -  -                          -             -           23 

Giant  Cactus  of  Arizona,         -  -                              24 

Starting  for  the  Canons.    -  -                                    25 

Southern  California  Orange  Orchard,  -            -                              31 

Presenting  His  Cause,       -  35 

Scenes  in  the  San  Gabriel  Valley,  -                                      .41 

To  Be  Handled  With  Care,  47 

Mistaking  His  Intent,  -            -            -            -                 51 

Irreclaimable,         -            -            -  -            •            •            -55 

California  Vulture,       -  -                                                          59 

A  Refreshing  Stream,        -  -             -             -           64 

Cascade  in  the  Sierra  Madres,  ....                 68 

The  Last  Pull,  ...          70 

Southern  California  Panorama,  -                                             72 

View  in  San  Antonio  Canon,  Ontario,  Cal.,         ...  76 

Inside  and  Outside  Headers,  -  ...                 78 

Santa  Barbara  Mission,    -  .             .            -           80 

View  From  Castle  Rock,  near  Santa  Barbara,            -            -                 82 

Scene  in  the  Coast  Range,  .            -             -           84 

Tropical  Luxuriance,  Del  Monte,  -                                                        86 

The  Loop,  -                                       -           89 

The  Flume,     -  -                 92 

A  Cascade  in  the  Sierras,  -                       93 

Summits  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas,  ....                 95 

Entrance  to  Yosemite  Valley,        -  -          98 

Yosemite  in  Early  Times,        -  IO3 

Bridal  Veil  Fall,     -  '         IO5 

Cathedral  Rocks,         -  .                          .               106 

The  Sentinel,          -  ...         107 

Yosemite  Falls,  -            -                IO9 

9 


10  LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE. 

Mirror  Lake,           -  -                         -         in 

North  Dome,    -                                      -  -               112 

South  Dome,  .            .            -         113 

Views  in  the  Valley,  -                                         115 

Falls  of  the  Yosemite,        -                         -  -            -            -117 

Among  the  Pines  of  the  Sierras,      .     -  -119 

Measuring  the  Grizzly  Giant,        -            -  -            -            -121 

The  Wawona,  -                                      -  123 

Hollow  Trunk,       -             -                          -  _            -             -125 

Keystone  State,                         -            -  -            .            .               127 

In  the  High  Sierras,                                    -  -         129 

On  the  Coast,                                         -  .            _            _               131 

Cliff  House,                                                  -  .            _            -133 

On  Wheels,  Through  Golden  Gate  Park,  -            -            -               135 

Alley,  Chinese  Quarters,    -  ...         137 

San  Francisco  Bay,      -  ...               139 

Vulcan's  Steam  Works,       -                         -  -            -            -       141 

The  Pe  rifled  Forest,    -  ...              143 

The  Devil's  Cailon.            ...  .                     !^5 

Rough  but  Romantic,  .                         -               147 

Fruit  Scene  in  Southern  California,  -            -            -         151 

Tropic  Foliage,  Coast,  .            .               153 

Residence  Montecito,  Coast,         -  -            .                      15  5 

Woodard's  Gardens,  Golden  Gate,      -  157 

Napa  Soda  Springs,  Orange  and  Vine  Culture,    -  161 

Fruit  Ranches,  Northern  California,  -  ...               163 
Haunts  of  the  Trout,        -                         ....         167 

The  State  Capitol,        -  -            -               171 

Over  the  Sierra  Summits,  -            .                      173 

Lake  Esther,  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  -            -                            175 
Lake  Donner,         -                          -.,...177 

Lake  Tahoe,    -  ...               179 

Scenes  in  the  Nevada  Desert,        -  -            -                      181 

"  Hostile  Elements,"  -  183 

Bird's-Eye  View  of  Salt  Lake  City,  -            -                     189 

Seeking  Information,  -  -            -            -               191 
The  Temple,                                                 ....         195 

The  Tabernacle,                                      -  -                197 

Bee  Hive  House,  -                         .  -                     199 

The  Great  Salt  Lake,              .  201 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS.  11 

PAGE. 

Eagle  Gate,  205 

Amelia  Palace,  -                             207 

Lion's  Head  Rock,  Great  Salt  Lake,  -                                       -         209 

Tramway  in  Little  Cottonwood  Canon,  -             -             -                21 1 

Weber  Canon,        -  -         215 

Echo  Canon,    -  217 

A  Romantic  Retreat,  American  Fork  Canon,       -  -         219 

Castle  Gate,     -  ...               225 

Uncompahgre  River,  ...         227 

On  the  Reservation,     -  -                          -               229 

Approach  to  the  Black  Canon,      -  235 

In  the  Black  Canon,     -  ...               237 

Currecanti  Needle,  -             -            -         239 

Marshall  Pass,  -                              241 

Royal  Gorge,  -         243 

A  Refreshing  Spring,  Cascade  Canon,  -                            244 

A  Cool  Retreat,  Cascade  Canon,  -  -         245 

Queen  of  the  Canons,  -  246 

The  Balanced  Rock,  -                         .            -        247 

Manitou  and  Pike's  Peak,  249 

Rock  Formations,  Garden  of  the  Gods,  -             -                          -         251 

Gateway  to  the  Garden  of  the  Gods.  -  253 


PREFACE. 


The  contents  of  "Graphic  Sketches  of  the  West" 
are  made  up  of  selected  portions  of  the  writer's  cor- 
respondence, recently  published  in  two  leading  New 
York  newspapers,  and  special  articles  and  additions 
written  for  the  express  purposes  of  the  book. 

Its  presence  on  the  market  in  this  form  is  largely 
due  to  the  encouragement  which  the  published  por- 
tions have  already  received  from  the  press  and  the 
public,  having  been  not  only  widely  quoted,  but 
also  the  subject  of  many  pleasant  allusions,  to  which 
the  author's  attention  has  often  been  kindly  directed 
by  the  editors  and  their  associates.  The  latter 
have  also  suggested  the  title  which  the  book  bears. 

It  is,  perhaps,  pertinent  to  apprize  the  reader  that 
this  volume  is  not  intended  as  a  guide  in  the  extreme 
sense.  As  such,  it  is  feared  that  it  might  guide  the 
tourist  into  some  of  the  undesirable  complications  and 
indescribable  embarrassments  which  the  writer  has 
experienced,  and  which  he  could  not  cheerfully 
recommend  to  the  traveling  public.  But,  in  a  more 
practical  sense,  it  is  believed  that  it  will  serve  as  a 
general  guide  to  the  country  described,  since  it  either 


PREFACE.  13 

gives  detailed  descriptions  or  makes  brief  mention 
of  the  principal  objects  of  interest  on  the  Pacific 
coast  and  the  leading  attractions  of  transcontinental 
routes.  All  details  of  small  towns  and  cumbrous 
statistics,  however,  have  been  carefully  avoided,  that 
greater  prominence  might  be  given  the  more  unique 
manifestations  of  life  and  character,  and,  especially, 
the  eccentric  and  noteworthy  exhibitions  of  nature. 

The  articles  have  been  written  as  prompted  by  the 
suggestiveness  of  the  subject  in  hand,  entirely  inde- 
pendent of  corporate  interests,  and  with  appreciative 
readers  always  in  mind.  It  is,  therefore,  hoped  they 
will  be  cheerfully  welcomed  by  such  as  maintain 
lively  interest  in  the  amenities  of  travel,  at  the  same 
time  serve  practical  purposes  to  the  tourist  and 
health- seeker,  and  in  general  both  inform  and  please. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FLIGHT  TO  TKOPICAL  CLIMES. 

The  tourist;  who  visits  Southern  California  in  mid- 
winter undergoes  a  metamorphosis  hard  to  explain. 
People  often  wonder  how  it  comes  about  that  the  grum 
and  cantankerous  habitant  of  the  north  is  transformed 
into  the  cymophanous  and  agreeable  bird  that  he  is 
after  reaching  this  country.  The  transition  however, 
though  complex  and  peculiar,  is  not  entirely  beyond 
the  student  of  morphology.  The  writer,  after  much 
laborious  investigation,  has  succeeded  in  eliciting  facts 
and  phenomena  which  ought  to  throw  some  light  on 
this  abstruse  and  hitherto  unexplored  field  of  research. 

Beginning  with  the  first  stages  of  the  transforma- 
tion, the  subject  wakes  up  some  frosty  morning  on  the 
shores  of  the  northern  lakes  and  finds  that,  by  some 
inadvertence,  his  room  had  not  been  hermetically 
sealed  when  he  retired.  The  cold,  piercing  wind, 
charged  with  the  terror  of  the  lakes,  lays  siege  to  his 
slumbers,  plays  with  his  auburn  locks,  and  by  the 
break  of  dawn  provides  him  with  a  swollen  head  and  a 
new  vocabulary.  Bounding  from  his  crib,  he  brushes 
about  the  room  and  summarily  exhausts  all  the  re- 

15 


16         GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

sources  at  his  command  for  raising  the  temperature. 
Failing  in  this,  he  vainly  tries,  by  both  bell  and  yell, 
to  raise  the  porter,  and  then  sets  about  to  raise  Cain 
generally,  and  succeeds.  Hastily  pulling  on  his 
clothes,  with  one  end  of  his  collar  buttoned  to  his  vest, 
he  rushes  down  to  the  office,  peals  off  a  volley  of  in- 
structive epithets  to  the  landlord,  exhausts  Cr abb's 
Book  of  Synonyms  in  cursing  the  house,  and  vocifer- 
ously declares  his  intention  to  skip  the  country  and 
drown  his  troubles  in  the  balm  and  sunshine  of  tropical 
skies. 

Proceeding  to  put  his  resolve  into  execution,  he 
takes  the  first  train  for  Chicago,  en  route  for  the  semi- 
tropics.  On  the  journey  he  now  and  then  opens  the 
double-breasted  car  windows,  humanely  provided  by 
large-hearted  railroad  managers,  only  to  find  that  no 
change  in  the  temperature  is  to  be  felt  within  telephone 
distance  of  the  lakes.  Perhaps  at  Chicago  he  may 
make  life  tolerable  for  a  day  or  two  within  closed 
doors,  especially  if,  as  in  the  case  of  the  writer,  he  en- 
joys the  hospitality  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  test 
city  cousins.  But  life  loses  its  fascination  the  moment 
he  steps  out  into  the  street,  while  a  half-mile  ride  in  a 
Chicago  open  "grip  "(called  by  citizens  "the  refriger- 
ator,") makes  life  no  longer  worth  living  for  the  time 
being.  The  next  step  is  to  call  down  the  blessings 
of  Olympus  upon  the  heads  of  the  convivial  friends 
who  have  made  your  advent  to  the  "  Garden  City" 
(not  in  winter)  a  festal  occasion.  Next  after  this  is 
to  call  up  the  curses  of  Acheron  against  the  hyper- 
borean blizzards  that  patrol  up  and  down  the  northern 


FLIGHT    TO    TROPICAL    CLIMES. 


17 


*v,  ..-'-. 

SV^i-.  X..:.  -.  .  <•••:     . 

:-,.':.^'.: .  -i*. ••;... 


STARTING   FOR  THE  TROPICS. 

lakes  without  salary,  and  then  push  southward  by  fast 
express. 

From  Chicago  to  Kansas  City  the  aggrieved  fugi- 
tive from  northern  blasts,  while  enjoying  the  comforts 
of  easy  reclining  chairs,  elegant  dining  cars,  the  deli- 
cacies of  the  season,  a  good  night's  rest  and  moderating 


18  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE    WEST. 

temperature,  also  gradually  modifies  his  pessimistic 
views  of  life.  As  morning  breaks  upon  his  bewildered 
eye-balls,  the  first  promise  of  endurable  existence 
breaks  upon  his  soul,  and  a  thrill  of  ecstacy  takes  him 
in  the  back  as  he  contemplates  the  practicability  of 
crossing  the  platform  to  the  dining  car  without  con- 
gealing his  marrow.  Shortly  he  reaches  Kansas  City 
and  is  unceremoniously  ushered  into  one  of  the  great- 
est hippodromes  on  the  continent — the  Kansas  City 
Union  Depot.  Here  drummer,  tourist,  merchant, 
farmer,  Negro,  Chinaman,  Jap,  emigrant,  millionaire 
— the  elite,  riff-raff  and  tag-rag  of  creation  are  all 
shoveled  in  together  from  the  four  quarters  of  the 
globe.  Out-going  trains  make  a  daily  sweep  of  this 
mixed  population,  only  to  make  room  for  other  in-com- 
ing hordes  of  equally  interesting  yet  new  specimens  of 
creative  genius.  From  this  romantic  city,  situated  on 
bluffs  overlooking  the  Missouri  river  and  its  bordering 
prairies,  the  slowly  evolving  Californian  pushes  west 
and  south  by  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  railroad. 
For  hundreds  of  miles  he  rides  through  prolific  fields 
of  vast  extent,  where  standing  stalks  display  an  ex- 
travagance of  growth  that  makes  him  more  or  less 
chagrined  to  think  that  he  once  tried  to  get  rich  rais- 
ing corn  on  eastern  city  lots.  In  like  manner  the  vast 
herds  of  cattle,  roaming  over  the  prairies  bordering  the 
Arkansas,  bring  up  these  same  emotions  when  he  re- 
calls his  late  efforts  in  the  east  to  build  up  a  flourish- 
ing live  stock  business  on  one  head  of  cattle  and  a 
quarter  interest  in  the  neighborhood  pig.  But  this 


FLIGHT    TO   TROPICAL    CLIMES.  19 

has  nothing   to  do   with  the   climatic  features  of  the 
journey,  except  indirectly. 

But*  lo !  as  we  enter  Colorado,  the  snowy  summits 
of  the  Rockies  appear,  dazzling  in  the  sunlight,  ninety 
miles  away,  and  soon  the  white  Spanish  Peaks  loom 
upward  in  the  distant  sky.  Reaching  their  base,  we 
proceed  to  "surmount  the  rocky  steeps."  Up!  up! 
one  hundred  and  eighty  five  feet  to  the  mile,  we  soon 
reach  a  land  of  frost  and  snow,  still  climbing  until, 
six  thousand  feet  in  air,  we  are  landed  in  the  city 
of  the  Trinity  —  called  Trinidad  —  the  name,  by  the 
way,  forming  the  principal  religious  association  of  the 
place.  On  entering  this  city  it  is  with  some  difficulty 
that  the  tourist  dispels  the  misleading  impression  that 
he  is  on  his  way  back  to  Chicago,  so  visible  are  the 
signs  of  returning  winter.  While  coming  up  this 
grade  to  Trinidad,  occurs  a  little  incident  that  may 
have  an  important  bearing  upon  the  tourist's  future 
career  in  life.  At  a  small  way  station  near  the  base 
of  the  mountains  a  young  damsel  with  roseate  cheeks 
and  luxuriant  tresses  enters  the  car  in  which  you  are 
seated.  Her  radiant  eyes  and  erubescent  lips  captivate 
the  beholder  at  first  sight.  All  thoughts  and  higher 
ambitions  are  at  once  banished  and  bartered  for  the 
seemingly  laudable  desire  of  sharing  the  same  seat, 
or  at  least  entering  into  agreeable  conversation  with 
this  bewitching  fairy  of  tlia  mountains.  She  appears 
to  be  acquainted  with  all  the  local  passengers,  talks 
with  the  seedy  swain  and  lavishes  her  ravishing  smiles 
upon  the  hoary -headed  patriarch  who  hobbles  about 
upon  an  antediluvian  crutch;  but  not  a  word,  nor 


20  GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

a  smile,  nor  a  look  of  recognition  has  she  for  the  worthy 
and  blameless  youth  who  so  covets  her  addresses. 
It  is  of  no  avail  to  offer  her  the  morning  paper,  knock 
an  umbrella  out  of  her  hand  by  accident  and  humbly 
beg  pardon —  or  even  to  inveigle  an  old  fat  man  into 
her  momentarily  vacated  seat  and  then  graciously 
offer  her  ladyship  a  half  interest  in  your  own. 
Every  strategem  fails,  and  finally  the  rebuffed  and 
discomfited  youth  strives  to  forget  his  defeats  and 
disappointments  by  writing  up  his  long  neglected 
diary.  After  writing  for  half  an  hour  with  dynam- 
ical earnestness  and  seven-league-boot  speed  he 
begins  to  sneeze,  wheeze,  cough,  snuffle  and  whoop. 
Casting  a  nervous  glance  to  the  rear,  he  discovers  to 
his  astonishment  that  this  fair  "  Flower  of  Paradise," 
that  deigned  not  to  favor  him  with  so  much  as  a  leer 
from  her  blooming  and  bewitching  countenance,  had 
seen  fit  to  raise  the  window  at  his  back  and  let  in  upon 
his  defenceless  head  the  unpropitious  atmosphere  of 
this  mountain  region.  The  cold  which  he  contracts 
on  this  occasion  is  warranted  to  remain  in  statu  quo 
after  the  usual  administrations  of  hot  punch  and  whis- 
ky sling,  stand  bullet-proof  against  compound  oxygen, 
successfully  resist  all  the  medicinal  virtues  of  New 
Mexico's  boasted  climate,  and  at  the  end  of  fourteen 
days  show  no  more  signs  of  being  reduced  than  the 
price  of  board. 

Beware  of  Circe's  cunning  arts 

And  the  winsome  maid  of  Trinidad, 
Leucosia's  tongue,  the  queen  of  hearts, 
A  draught  at  the  back 

And  a  fearful  cold  in  the  head. 


22  GBAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

Stopping  over  one  day  at  Trinidad  to  get  a  little 
initiated  into  Mexican  life,  introductory  to  the  bigger 
dose  to  be  taken  further  on,  the  climate-seeker  again 
boards  the  train  and  pushes  still  on  and  up  until  he 
reaches  the  Eaton  Pass,  which  he  enters  in  the  snowy 
Colorado  heights  and  from  which  he  emerges  into  the 
sunny  land  of  New  Mexico.  In  going  up  this  precip- 
itous height  to  the  pass,  the  train  is  divided  into  two 
sections  to  make  sure  that  the  iron  horses  (at  least  two 
to  a  train)  will  be  equal  to  the  ascent.  By  mistake 
the  representative  tourist  boards  the  first  section  that 
comes  along,  and  rides  up  the  incline  in  a  mysterious 
car  that  quite  staggers  his  sensibilities.  Its  inmates 
seem  to  be  contentedly  employed  in  the  various  arts 
and  industries,  cooking  beefsteak,  washing  dishes, 
mopping,  "  getting  out  washings  "  (in  which  latter  oc- 
cupation the  washerwoman  utilizes  the  bell  rope  for  a 
clothes-line),  and  other  domestic  duties,  all  in  harmon- 
ious operation.  Having  inquired  of  the  conductor  if 
the  laundry  and  restaurant  connected  with  the  car  are 
first  class,  and  not  being  given  the  fullest  assurance 
that  they  are,  the  luckless  passenger,  satisfied  that  he 
has  "  taken  the  wrong  berth,"  disembarks  at  Eaton. 
Here  he  transfers  himself  and  effects  to  the  second 
section,  that  has  now  pulled  up  to  the  summit. 

From  Eaton  the  descent  is  made  with  such  rapidity 
as  to  cause  a  depressing  sensation  on  the  ear-drum, 
similar  to  that  experienced  in  descending  a  coal  mine. 
Having  passed  the  extensive  cattle  ranches  of  Dorsey 
and  Ingersoll  and  the  historic  Wagon  Mound,  the 
rambler  arrives  at  Las  Vegas  and  its  famous  hot 


FLIGHT    TO    TROPICAL    CLIMES. 


23 


springs.  Here  he  will  be  informed  that  an  English 
gentleman,  but  a  short  time  since,  shot  himself  because 
he  could  not  pay  his  bill  at  the  Phoenix.  Whereupon 
the  listener  is  expected  to  make  the  following  remark: 
"  I  would  sooner  think  of  shooting  myself  because  I 
have  to  pay  my  bills."  Then,  after  looking  around  to 


PUEBLO    INDIANS,   NEW  MEXICO. 

see  if  any  one  has  wit  enough  to  see  what  a  tremendous 
joke  has  been  elaborated,  he  is  ready  to  sample  the 
cuisine  of  the  institution.  After  taking  one  meal  at 
this  palace  of  luxury,  built  by  railroad  enterprise,  he 
no  longer  wonders  that  a  sensitive  nature  should  have 
a  feeling  of  delicacy  about  going  off  without  paying 


24        GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

his  bill.  This  is  a  good  place  to  feed  an  ordinary  cold, 
and  would  doubtless  put  to  rout  almost  any  variety 
except  that  contracted  while  ascending  the  Trinidad 
heights.  A  fortnight's  sojourn  in  this  vicinity  is  most 
amusing  and  interesting.  It  affords  the  tourist  an  ex- 
Qellent  opportunity  to  observe  the  peculiarities  of  the 


GIANT    CACTUS    OF    ARIZONA. 
(Sixty  feet  high.) 

Mexican  "  burro,"  (a  demure,  philosophical  and  recal- 
citrant variety  of  mule,)  study  the  various  forms  and 
configurations  of  the  ubiquitous  "  adobe  "  and  various 
other  phenomena,  either  ancient  or  odd,  or  both.  The 
Mexican  hasn't  yet  forsaken  his  wooden  plow,  carries 
stove-wood  to  market  on  horseback,  and  positively  re- 
fuses to  advance  with  the  times. 


STARTING    FOR   THE   CANONS. 


26  GKAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

A  most  delightful  ramble  from  the  Phoenix  Hotel 
is  that  up  the  river  and  canons  of  the  Gallinas.  In 
these  retreats  of  the  mountains,  nature  poses  in  some 
of  her  loveliest  attitudes,  and  few  places  will  be  found 
more  picturesque  and  pleasing. 

The  tourist  who  is  abroad  for  the  purpose  of  sight- 
seeing, will  not  forget  to  stop  off  at  Santa  Fe" — at 
least  if  interested  in  the  antiquities  and  historical 
associations  of  the  country.  While  here  he  will  find 
it  equally  worth  his  pains  to  visit  the  mysterious 
relics  of  the  far  past,  to  be  found  at  Embudo  and 
other  places  a  few  miles  north  on  the  Denver  and  Eio 
Grande. 

Leaving  Santa  Fe  and  casting  a  long,  lingering, 
puzzled  look  back  upon  the  long-headed  "  burro  "  and 
the  short-waisted  adobe  hut,  the  pilgrim,  destined  to 
the  land  of  sunny  skies,  passes  through  vast  mountain 
regions,  rich  in  mineral  ores,  over  brick-colored  lands, 
endless  cactus  fields,  alkali  lakes  and  desert  wastes,  and 
after  a  three  days'  ride,  pulls  up  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
wondering  if  he  is  the  same  fellow  that  kicked  up  such 
a  row  at  a  certain  eastern  hotel  because  the  climate 
wasn't  half  cooked.  These  are  substantially  the  ex- 
periences of  the  reader's  humble  servant  and  the  same 
programme  is  said  to  be  in  vogue  for  all  making  the 
trip  under  precisely  the  same  circumstances. 

The  country  over  on  this  side  of  Uncle  Sam's 
dominion  is  really  sui  generis.  Warm  breezes  and 
cloudless  skies,  are  served  upon  nature's  lunch  counter 
and  at  greatly  reduced  rates.  Orange  trees  blossom, 
bud  and  bear,  all  at  the  same  time ;  ripe  tomatoes  and 


FLIGHT    TO    TROPICAL    CLIMES.  27 

real  estate  agents  hang  on  all  the  year  round,  and  the 
elements  generally  conspire  to  keep  the  muscles  of  the 
body  and  the  buttons  of  the  coat  in  a  state  of  agreeable 
relaxation.  People  of  the  North,  shivering  in  their 
overcoats,  look  with  distrust  upon  all  midwinter  allu- 
sions to  sultry  skies,  blooming  flowers  and  ripening 
fruits.  They  are  not  however,  poetic  effusions,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  real,  unvarnished  and  unsophisticated 
truths.  The  writer  receives,  almost  daily,  letters  from 
the  East,  calling  him  an  unconditional  hypocrite  and 
Janus-headed  wolf  in  sheep's  hide  for  sending  these 
weather  reports  home  to  his  friends.  But  I  repeat  they 
are  mathematical  verities  and  hold  myself  responsible 
for  any  mischief  or  inconvenience  they  may  cause  such 
as  receive  them  without  cavil  or  suspicion.  The  medi- 
cinal virtues  of  this  country  are  beyond  dispute.  I 
have  myself  received  more  benefit  here  in  one  afternoon 
reading  Buck  Fanshaw  and  the  binomial  theorem  than 
in  cursing  climate  in  the  North  for  a  whole  winter. 


CHAPTEE  II. 
SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA. 


HE  people  who  have  always  lived  in 
the  staid  East  have  but.  faint  con- 
ception of  the  significance  of  the 
word  "boom"  —especially  in  the 
sense  in  which  it  has  been  illustrat- 
ed in  this  locality.  The  cause  of 
this  is  probably  the  great  influx 
of  Eastern  people  who  have  learned 
of  Southern  California  as  a  sanita- 
rium. In  1880,  the  population  of  Los  Angeles  was 
only  eleven  thousand.  Now  it  is  about  fifty  thousand. 
In  December,  1886,  four  thousand  tourists  from  the 
East  came  to  this  city  during  one  week.  Some  idea 
of  the  Southern  California  boom  may  be  conceived 
from  the  fact  that  in  the  year  just  mentioned  thirteen 
thousand  conveyances  of  re;il  estate  were  made  and 
twenty  eight  million  dollars  changed  hands  in  Los 
Angeles  county  alone.  This  was  nearly  three  times 
that  of  the  preceding  year,  and  though  the  ball  still 
rolls,  the  prices  are  less  fantastic  and  confounding. 
The  old-time  furor  of  '48  has  never  been  fairly  up- 
rooted from  California  soil.  This  mania  for  rampant 
speculation  seems  to  have  become  dovetailed  into  all 

28 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  29 

the  thoughts  and  sentiments  of  society.  As  inoffen- 
sive as  the  writer  has  always  been  reputed,  it  has 
been  lively  work  for  him  to  resist  the  elements  of  the 
all-pervading  craze. 

Upon  reaching  this  county,  about  the  first  thing 
after  making  a  few  side  trips  to  make  sure  of  my 
whereabouts,  was  to  make  for  an  orange  orchard.  A 
large  black  dog  made  for  me  —  I  made  for  the  fence. 
The  owner  suddenly  made  his  appearance  and  re- 
quested me  to  explain.  I  was  somewhat  out  of  breath, 
but  managed  to  collect  my  wind  and  wits,  and  replied: 
"  Sir,  I  want  to  buy  a  good  dog,  and,  seeing  this  one, 
I  hooked  the  peroration  of  my  coat  into  his  bicuspids 
and  walked  off  to  see  how  hard  he  could  pull." 

"Well,  I'll  sell  him  to  you  —  will  sell  anything,  in 
fact  —  how  does  he  suit  ?  Does  he  pull  satisfactorily  ?  " 

After  bantering  awhile  and  concluding  the  dog 
wasn't  of  the  right  color,  I  pushed  on  to  the  next 
fruit  ranch,  where  there  were  no  dogs  for  sale,  and 
the  owner  of  the  ranch  was  totally  blind.  But  this  is 
a  strange  country,  and  notwithstanding  the  eternal 
darkness  that  clouded  his  brow,  the  old  farmer  ap- 
proached and  remarked: 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you.     Where  are  you  from?" 

"  The  East,  sir,"  I  replied. 

"Indeed!"  continued  the  voluble  gray -beard,  "I 
was  once  an  Easterner  myself,  but  I  have  been  here 
long  enough  to  get  my  eyes  opened." 

"What!  will  this  climate  cure  blindness?  I  have 
heard  it  was  good  for  the  wind,  but  this  is  something 
new  you  are  telling  me." 


30        GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

"No,  climate  can't  do  it,  but  real  estate  agents 
can.  These  fellows  can  open  the  eyes  of  an  amblyop- 
sis  and  make  a  man  see  stars  with  his  collar  bone." 

"Aha!  you  seem  to  be  up  in  science  a  little." 

"  Yes,  I  went  to  college  in  my  younger  days,  but 
education  is  no  protection  to  a  man  here  when  he  is 
dealing  with  real  estate  agents.  Nine-tenths  of  all 
the  people  who  come  here  from  the  East  have  amau- 
rosis  of  the  eye-balls.  They  can't  see  with  their  eyes 
wide  open  half  as  much  as  a  blind  man  with  his  eye- 
teeth  cut." 

"  Now,  Professor,  I  came  here  to  buy  a  few  oranges 
to  eat,  but  I  am  greatly  interested  in  this  real  estate 
business  and  want  to  learn  all  I  can  about  it.  I  have 
heard  it  talked  about  ever  since,  and,  for  that  matter, 
before,  I  left  New  York,  and  now  that  I  am  here  I 
don't  hear  anything  else." 

"  Well,  I  can  tell  you  all  there  is  to  it  in  very  few 
words.  Did  you  notice  that  fruit  ranch  about  eighty 
rods  below  here  as  you  came  along?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  called  there  a  few  minutes  ago  to  see 
about  buying  a  dog." 

"Did  you  notice  what  a  fine  place  it  was?" 

"Yes,  sir,  on  approaching  it;  but  when  I  came 
away  I  was  in  somewhat  of  a  hurry  and  didn't  look 
around  much." 

"  Well,  what  should  you  say  that  small  twenty  by 
thirty  house  and  those  twenty  acres  of  land  ought*  to 
be  worth?" 

"  O!   say  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  per 


32  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

"  Well,"  continued  the  reverend  gaffer,  "  that's 
about  all  it's  worth,  but  three  years  ago  it  sold  at  one 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars  per  acre." 

"  G-r-e-a-t  Scotland!  Why!  you  can  buy  city  lots 
East  for  that  price.  Was  it  really  worth  it  at  that 
time?" 

"No;  but  it  sold  for  that." 

"To  whom?" 

"  Some  Eastern  chap  paid  that  for  it — 

"  But  Yankees  don't  generally  pay  for  more  than 
they  get?"  I  interrupted. 

"So  it  is  in  this  case.  I  see  you  look  puzzled,  but 
I'll  explain.  Now  look  me  square  in  the  eye  and  I'll 
elucidate."  (Somehow  I  couldn't  get  track  of  the  old 
man's  eye,  but  he  proceeded:) 

"  Now  it's  on  this  wise.  You  fellows  from  the  East 
come  out  here  with  a  busted  lung,  the  back-ache,  or 
some  malady  of  some  sort  that's  got  into  the  family, 
and  before  you  are  fairly  planted  on  the  platform  here, 
you  are  spotted  by  a  real  estate  agent.  In  a  day  or 
two  you  are  seen  driving  around  the  country  with  him. 
As  you  take  in  the  air  and  discover  it  to  be  an  im- 
provement on  that  which  you  left  in  the  smoker,  you 
are  informed  with  much  glow  of  sentiment  that  this  is 
the  only  country  the  Almighty  ever  intended  man 
should  inhabit.  Well,  to  cut  the  matter  short,  in  less 
than  three  days,  you  are  in  possession  of  papers  con- 
veying clear  title  to  twenty -five  or  fifty  feet  front  of 
this  California  climate — the  same  to  extend  backwards 
one  hundred  feet,  and  upwards  to  the  seventh  heaven 
— to  have  and  to  hold  henceforth  eternally  and  forever. 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  33 

Thousands  of  Eastern  people  come  to  this  valley  every 
season,  and  not  a  small  per  cent,  of  them  are  '  brayed 
in  the  mortar.'  No  wonder  land  has  been  high." 

"  Then  you  think  people  from  the  East  don't  get 
their  money's  worth  here?" 

"O,  they  get  what  they  pay  for.  The  man  who 
buys  this  ranch  where  you  say  you  went  to  buy  a  dog, 
pays  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  acre  for 
the  land,  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  irrigating 
privileges,  and  the  remaining  eleven  hundred  dollars 
per  acre  for  climate,  gush,  livery  bills,  getting  his  eyes 
opened,  and  so  forth." 

"  Now,  sire,  just  what  does  a  man  pay  for  climate 
in  the  above  transaction?" 

"  Well,  '  sonny,'  you've  got  me.  This  matter  of 
climate  is  a  variable  factor  and  very  hard  to  estimate. 
It  depends  largely  on  location.  Fifty  feet  front  of  it 
in  Los  Angeles  or  Pasadena  often  brings  as  much  as 
five  or  ten  acres  out  here  in  the  country.  The  same 
acreage  of  climate  is  worth  more  to  one  man  than 
another  also.  Hence  you  see  we  can't  just  size  up  this 
climate  business,  exactly." 

"  But  so  long  as  Eastern  people  can  sell  what  they 
buy  for  as  much  or  more  than  they  pay,  they  are  not 
hoodwinked  very  much,  are  they?" 

"  Perhaps  not,  but  some  morning  somebody  wakes 
up  and  discovers  that  he  can't  realize  on  his  investment. 
His  neighbor  and  his  neighbors'  neighbor  discover 
the  same  thing,  and  a  new  slate  is  made  up." 

"But  isn't  this  one  of  the  most  charming  valleys  of 
California?" 

3 


34        GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

"  Yes,  this  is  one  of  the  eighty-seven  most  charm- 
ing valleys  of  the  State,  and  when  the  State  becomes 
more  fully  developed  they  are  all  going  to  be  stretched 
on  the  bed  of  Procrustes  together — at  least  so  far  as 
the  '  charming  '  business  is  concerned.  They  are  all 
charming  and  one  is  about  as  much  so  as  another — 
at  least  I  can't  tell  any  difference  in  them." 

"Then  you  don't  think  these  speculators  will  suc- 
ceed in  getting  a  corner  in  this  climate?" 

"Hardly.  A  State  that  is  equal  in  size  to  all  of 
New  England,  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  with  room 
enough  left  to  fence  in  Switzerland  and  half  a  dozen 
States  like  Delaware,  isn't  going  to  be  cornered  right 
away." 

"  I  know,  Professor,  but  isn't  there  a  good  deal  of 
waste  land  in  the  State?  " 

"  There  are  one  hundred  million  acres  of  land  in 
California,  and  thirty  million  of  these  are  capable  of 
a  high  state  of  cultivation;  and  as  far  as  climate  is 
concerned,  almost  any  of  it  is  good  enough  for  a  king. 
No;  these  real  estate  operators  can't  get  a  corner  in 
this  country." 

"  Well,  uncle,  if  I  keep  on  asking  questions,  I'm 
afraid  I'll  talk  the  daylights  out  of  you." 

"  I  wish  they  might  be  talked  into  me ;  but  you 
spoke  about  some  oranges.  Just  come  this  way  and 
I'll  show  you  my  Washington  Navels." 

With  elated  jowl  and  glowing  palate  I  followed  on 
in  the  footsteps  of  the  venerable  rustic  as  he  led  the 
way  to  a  place  where 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  35 

*    *    *     "  The  lemon  and  piercing  lime, 

With  the  deep  orange  glowing  through  the  green, 

Their  lighter  glories  blend." 

On  the  way  the  process  of  irrigating  orange  orchards 
was  illustrated,  the  manner  of  storing  the  water  in  res- 
ervoirs in  the  mountains  described,  and  the  mysteries 
and  methods  of  irrigation  generally  unfolded.  It  ap- 
pears the  water  is  owned  by  companies,  who  sell  it  to 
the  ranchmen  at  so  much  per  share. 

After  sampling  some  fine  navel  oranges,  some  of 
which  were  a  foot  in  circumference  and  of  unexcelled 
flavor,  I  duly  acknowledged  the  hospitality  of  my  curi- 
ous host,  and  departed  with  distended  pockets  and 
swelling  emotions.  Before  reaching  town,  however, 
I  had  a  slight  set-back,  being  encountered  by  a  number 
of  plausible  chaps,  who  were  very  desirous  to  show 
me  where  I  could  make  a  rap  and  scoop  in  a  thousand 
dollars  in  less  than  two  months  without  lifting  a  shovel. 

There  are  several  hundred  real  estate  agents  in  and 
around  Los  Angeles.  They  are  not  only  numerous, 
but  also  persuasive,  plausible  and  hard  to  dodge. 
Worst  of  all,  you  may  as  well  try  to  persuade  the 
rnoon  to  irrigate  the  soil  as  to  attempt  to  persuade 
these  fellows  that  you  are  not  out  here  to  invest.  You 
may  point  to  your  old  clothes,  turn  your  pockets 
wrong  side  out  and  swear  by  the  precession  of  the 
equinoxes  that  there  isn't  a  dollar  in  the  whole  macro- 
cosm that  you  can  call  your  own,  and  yet  they  persist 
until  you  are  almost  persuaded  that  you  have  some- 
thing hid  away  somewhere  that  you  had  overlooked. 

A  few  days    ago  there  was    an    excursion  to   San 


36         GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

Diego  in  the  interest  of  land  owners.  Your  obedient 
servant  was  there.  He  had  hardly  struck  Coronado 
Beach,  however,  when  a  naive  land  agent  approached, 
with  an  oleaginous  grin  as  broad  as  the  smile  of  a 
beluga,  and  insisted  in  foreign  accents  upon  selling 
a  lot. 

"  No  lots  to-day,  sir,"  I  replied. 

"  To-morroW — you — buy — lot?  " 

"No,  sir;  haven't  anything  to  invest." 

"  But — you — hav  —  some  —  monie,"  continued  the 
pressing  foreigner  in  measured  syllables,  "  an' — when 
— you—  see — ze — lot, — you — buy.  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  haven't  money  enough  to  live  decent. 
See  what  old  clothes  I  wear." 

"  Oh,  zat  be  comeek;  ze  cloze  all  right;  where  you 
stop?" 

"  Over  at  the  New  Carl  ton,  but  I  haven't  paid  my 
bill  yet." 

"Oh!  oh!  ze  hotel  all  right,  ze  cloze  all  right,  ze 
monie  all  right;  you  buy  one  lot,  you  like  it  —  fine! 
splendeed  ! " 

"  How  much  do  you  ask  for  your  lots,  anyway?  " 

"  Moseer — genteelmo',  I  sell  you  one  large  lot  for 
seven  hundred  dollars." 

"Will  you  trust?  How  many  onions  can  I  raise 
off  from  it?" 

"Onions?     Oh!     You  raise  no  onions  — 

"But  if  I  buy  the  lot  I  should  want  to  go  to  work 
on  it  and  get  a  living.  Couldn't  I  settle  down  to 
hard  labor,  go  without  pie,  and  in  a  few  years  pay  for 
it  by  raising  hogs  or  something  of  that  sort  ?  How 


SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA. 


37 


PRESENTING    MIS    CAUSE 


large  is  the  lot  anyway  —  all  I  see  here,  probably  - 
the  whole  island,  isn't  it?" 

"Lor'-heving  !     No,   no,   no!     Fourteen    hundred 
lots  here.     You  have  twenty-five  feet  front  for  seven 


38  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

hundred  dollar,  an'  you  keep  it  two  year  an'  you  sell 
him  fer  two  thousand  dollar." 

"Well!  if  that's  so,  I'll  buy  the  lot." 

"  All  right,  moseer,  I  come  to  ze  hotel  to-morra, 
an'  we  go  an'  see  ze  lot,  an'  I  sell  him  cheap,  an'  you 
make  lot  monie,  ain't  it?" 

"  Well,  I'll  see  you  round  here  to-morrow,  per- 
haps." 

"  No,  no,  no.  I  go  to  ze  hotel  an'  fine  you,  moseer, 
an'  we  come  over  togezer  —  ain't  it?  " 

"  No,  you  better  not  go  there  ;  you  might  not 
find  me." 

"Yes!  yes  !  I  be  zair.  I  fine  you.  I  sell  ze  lot 
cheap,  you  make  monie,  you  get  rich  quick — don't  it?" 

They  say,  "  there's  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men, 
which,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune,"  but  the 
next  day  I  happened  to  be  two  hundred  miles  away 
and  consequently  out  one  thousand  three  hundred 
dollars.  I  must  confess,  however,  I  prefer  on  the 
whole,  the  direct  methods  of  the  San  Diegoan 
just  described  to  the  periphrastic  ones  adopted  by  the 
American  agents.  The  latter  give  you  more  queen's 
English,  but  the  arguments  advanced  are  the  same,  and 
I  imagine  a  buyer  would  feel  that  he  were  paying  for 
less  poetry  in  the  former  instance.  A  man  who  earns 
his  money  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow  can  scarcely  afford 
to  pay  five  or  ten  hundred  dollars  extra  for  a  piece  of 
property  just  to  hear  about  the  Elysian  fields  and  the 
gardens  of  the  Hesperides.  Sometimes  an  agent  will 
work  himself  up  to  the  following: 


SOUTHERN   CALIFOENIA.  39 

"  This  is  the  land  where  the  lemon  trees  bloom, 
Where  the  gold  orange  glows  in  the  green  thicket's  gloom, 
Where  the  wind  ever  soft  from  the  blue  heaven  blows, 
And  groves  are  of  myrtle  and  orange  and  rose." 

When  such  an  effusion  as  the  above  is  let  off  during 
a  sale  it  is  estimated  that  the  buyer  pays  at  least  a 
thousand  dollars  for  the  effusion.  Now  you  see  this  is 
too  much  when  the  complete  works  of  Goethe  can  be 
had  for  a  dollar.  People  who  come  here  to  invest, 
should  insist  upon  buying  the  land  without  the  poetry. 
More  land  and  less  poetry  is  the  great  demand  of  the 
times. 

Yesterday  I  stepped  into  a  certain  real  estate  office 
and  enquired  about  the  healthf  ulness  of  the  San  Gabriel 
Valley.  Rising  to  his  feet  and  suddenly  warming 
up  to  the  subject,  the  broker  replied  with  much 
enthusiasm  : 

"  There  is  not  another  place  in  Southern  California 
so  favored  as  this  San  Gabriel  Valley.  I  have  now  a 
number  of  fine  lots  in  that  quarter  on  my  list.  I  was 
up  there  only  last  week  and  I  was  simply  astonished  at 
the  beauty  and  promise  of  this  valley.  You  see  the 
Sierra  Madres  (pointing  to  the  map)  here  extend 
almost  due  east  and  west,  thus  averting  all  adverse  in- 
fluences from  the  north.  The  soil,  too,  is  porous  and 
warm,  and  the  water  comes  direct  from  the  mountains, 
pure  and  refreshing.  The  foot  hills  slope  gently  to 
the  south  ;  there  are  no  fogs  ;  the  air  is  dry  and  brac- 
ing, and  the  whole  valley  is  bathed  in  perpetual  sun- 
shine. There  is  not  a  brighter  nor  fairer  place  in  the 
whole  universe." 


4:0        GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

"  Is  that  so  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  and  no  better  soil  can  be  found.  The 
whole  valley  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  San 
Gabriel  Valley  railroad  actually  runs  through  miles  of 
orange  orchards.  Here  are  hundreds,  yes  thousands, 
of  acres  of  the  choicest  land  on  earth.  For  miles  the 
dark,  rich  foliage  of  fruit-burdened  trees,  interspersed 
with  thriving  vineyards,  form  a  continuous  fruit  para- 
dise, only  interrupted  by  lovely  cottages,  exquisite 
floral  lawns  and  princely  courts.  There  are  miles  of 
avenues  lined  with  lime  and  cypress  hedges,  or 
bordered  by  the  stately  eucalyptus.  This  whole  tract, 
clear  up  to  Pasadena  and  beyond,  is  one  vast  garden 
of  tropical  beauty  and  luxuriance." 

"  Is  that  possible  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  and  the  very  air  is  laden  with  the  aroma 
of  these  fruitful  orchards  and  blooming  gardens,  while 
exhilarating  sea-breezes  are  wafted  over  these  sunny 
slopes  freighted  with  eternal  life." 

"I  want  to  know  !" 

"  Yes,  sir ;  and  think  of  the  scenery  !  If  you  want 
to  see  scenery  unparalleled,  just  get  on  top  of  the 
Raymond  and  take  in  the  country.  On  the  north  the 
hills  rise  one  above  another  until,  towering  six  or 
seven  thousand  feet,  they  form  the  massive  Sierras 
with  their  pine-clad  slopes  and  picturesque  canons. 
Higher  and  higher  they  rise  until,  merging  into  '  Old 
Baldy '  and  Grayback,  they  reach  the  dizzy  heights  of 
ten  and  twelve  thousand  feet  and  lose  their  hoary  heads 
in  Paradise." 

"  Is  this  all  in  the  San  Gabriel  valley  ?  " 


SCENES    IN    THE    SAN    GABRIEL    VALLEY. 


42  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

"Yes,  sir;  all  in  the  San  Gabriel  valley,  and  the 
half  has  not  been  told  at  that.  The  scenery  I  spoke 
of  is  all  on  the  north.  In  the  opposite  direction  the 
San  Clemente  and  Cataline  islands  rise  up  out  of  the 
ocean,  .standing  bold  and  bare  against  the  distant  sky, 
and  overlook  the  broad  expanse  of  the  Pacific  like 
colossal  giants  —  'sentinels  of  the  mighty  deep.' 
Why  ?  Bryant  alluded  to  this  valley  when  he  spoke 
of- 

*******     "'The  hills, 
Rock-ribbed  and  ancient  as  the  sun  —  the  vales 
Stretching  in  pensive  quietness  between  ; 
*      *      *      And  poured  round  all, 
Old  ocean's  gray  and  melancholy  waste.' 

"  I  tell  you  a  man  can't   live  in  this   valley  I  am 
talking  about  without  becoming  a  poet.     These  orchards 
of    Hesperides,    Elysian   fields    and    Gardens  of   the 
Gods- 
' '  '  Where  the  gold  orange  glows  in  the  green  thicket's  gloom  — 

"Hold  on!  stranger,  hold  on!"  I  interrupted, 
"  every  place  I  have  been  to  yet  on  this  coast  I  have 
been  told  is  the  place 

"  •  Where  the  gold  orange  glows  in  the  green  thicket's  gloom.' 

Now,  I  want  to  know  if  the  oranges  do  this  all  over 
this  country,  or  have  these  other  fellows  been  lying 
to  me?" 

My  friend,  I  am  intensely  in  earnest  in  this  mat- 
ter," rejoined  the  broker,  "  and  if  you  want  a  lot  in 
this  San  Gabriel  Valley  I  will  sell  you  one  that  you 
can  double  your  money  on  in  less  than  three  months," 


SOUTHERN   CALIFORNIA. 


43 


"  Oli!  I  have  no  idea  of  buying  a  lot;  all  I  cared  to 
know  about  this  valley  for  was,  I  sent  my  mother-in- 
law  up  there  last  week.  I  guess  I'll  send  and  have  her 
come  back.  By  the  way,  don't  you  know  of  some  place 
around  here  that  isn't  quite  so  healthy  —  one,  for  in- 
stance, where  an  elderly  lady  with  an  extra  allowance 
of  vim  and  aggressiveness  would  find  it  '  nip  and  tuck ' 
to  pull  through  another  winter?" 

Hereupon  the  eloquent  broker's  larynx  came  to  a 
dead  set  and  both  parties  to  a  better  understanding. 


CHAPTEE   III. 

IN  PURSUIT  OF  GAME. 

From  the  time  the  versatile  Nimrod  founded  the 
Assyrian  Empire  and  the  reckless  Esau  bartered  his 
birthright  for  a  bowl  of  soup,  hunting  appears  in  his- 
tory as  the  favorite  diversion  both  of  gods  and  men 
Whether  this  proclivity  of  the  race  be  wisely  or  un- 
wisely entertained  is  little  to  the  purpose.  There  is  a 
fascination  about  pursuing  a  timid  quadruped  through 
orchard  and  meadow  to  his  home  in  the  underbrush 
that  is  peculiar  if  not  unaccountable.  The  tendency 
exists  and  the  fascination  is  attested  by  the  sporting 
public  throughout  the  world.  The  man  who  recalci- 
trates upon  being  asked  to  bring  in  an  armful  of  wood, 
cheerfully  consents  to  ford  rivers  and  climb  mountains 
to  bag  a  partridge  that  can  be  bought  for  a  quarter. 
I  have  known  men  who  could  earn  ten  dollars  per  day 
in  their  profession  to  hunt  coyotes  and  prairie  dogs  at 
less  than  ten  cents  per  week.  Confronted  with  such 
significant  facts  and  phenomena  as  these,  how  useless 
it  is  to  deny  the  love  of  adventure  a  place  among  the 
implanted  principles,  or  moralize  upon  the  folly  of 
wasting  golden  opportunities  of  becoming  President 
in  the  pursuit  of  quails  and  cotton-tails! 

Actuated  by  this  innate  thirst  for  adventure  common 
to  the  race,  the  writer,  joined  by  the  late  private  sec- 
retary of  one  of  New  York's  leading  public  men,  has 

44 


IN    PUKSUIT    OF    GAME.  45 

been  making  periodic  invasions  among  the  wild 
animals  of  this  country.  Securing  at  the  outset  a 
Colt's  lightning  repeater  and  an  approved  breech-load- 
ing shot-gun,  we  prepared  to  entertain  all  comestible 
flesh  with  magnificent  fireworks.  Going  to  a  real  es- 
tate agent  in  Los  Angeles,  we  diligently  inquired  for 
the  hunting  paradise  of  which  we  had  read.  In  reply 
we  were  promptly  informed  of  a  place  not  far  away 
where  a  novice  in  the  business  could  sit  on  a  stump 
and  kill  forty  jack-rabbits  an  hour.  At  that  time  we 
were  not  very  well  read  in  the  fine  art  of  selling  city 
lots  ten  miles  out  of  town.  Besides  there  is  an  ingen- 
uous credulity  about  an  amateur  sport  that  drinks  in 
with  fabulous  avidity  any  statement  which  tends  to 
increase  the  stock  of  slaughterable  fauna  incident  to  a 
new  locality.  Hence  the  representations  of  the  real 
estate  agent  were  not  questioned.  Any  way  we  could 
view  the  subject,  this  direction  seemed  to  offer  special 
inducements.  For  one  like  myself  who  had  at  that 
time  a  sort  of  leaning  toward  honor  and  future  reward, 
there  loomed  up  the  gilded  circumstance  that  jack- 
rabbit  squelchers  are  more  esteemed  in  this  country 
than  oak  planters.  Irving  said:  "He  who  plants  an 
oak  plants  for  posterity,"  but  he  ought  to  have  added 
that  he  who  kills  a  jack-rabbit  blesses  both  present  and 
future  generations — and  thus  have  made  himself  im- 
mortal. On  the  other  hand  the  tourist,  like  my  part- 
ner, who  had  been  fed  on  jack-rabbits  at  75  cents  per 
meal  at  the  railway  eating  stations  this  side  of  the 
Rockies,  might  well  view  the  pursuit  of  these  tender 
fibered  rodents  from  a  pecuniary  standpoint.  On  the 


46         GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

basis  of  seventy  five  cents  a  rabbit  and  forty  rabbits  an 
hour,  the  secretary  saw  money  in  the  business.  Decid- 
ing, therefore,  to  carry  out  the  real  estate  agent's  in- 
structions, we  secured  a  rig  and  started  out  for  the 
proposed  field  of  operation.  In  the  way  the  monetary 
considerations  of  the  enterprise  evidently  preyed  upon 
the  mind  of  my  associate,  for  all  at  once,  after  a  long 
and  ominous  silence,  his  countenance  lighted  up  with 
the  inspiration  that  heralds  the  solution  of  a  momentous 
problem,  and  he  observed : 

"Do  you  know  what  you  are  about,  comrade?  We 
are  approaching  a  region  abounding  in  game.  We  are 
here  on  expense,  and  why  waste  our  ammunition  ?  Why 
not  make  our  amusement  a  source  of  income?  Now 
what  I  propose  is  this:  Let  us  go  to  the  various  mar- 
kets in  the  city  and  contract  our  game.  It  may  not 
have  occurred  to  you,  chum,  but  there's  monev  in  this 
business,  rightly  conducted." 

"  But  suppose  we  should  make  contracts  and  not  be 
able  to  fill  them,"  I  replied. 

"  Not  fill  our  contracts?  Why!  you  blockhead,  we 
don't  need  to  take  orders  for  more  than  we  can  supply. 
We  know  sure,  from  what  the  real  estate  man  told  us, 
that  we  can  each  kill  forty  rabbits  an  hour.  If  we  are 
gone  four  hours,  that  will  be  one  hundred  and  sixty 
rabbits  apiece,  or  three  hundred  and  twenty  to  deliver 
in  all.  Now  I  propose  that  we  go  back  to  the  city  markets 
and  contract  three  hundred  rabbits  by  sundown.  That 
will  give  us  twenty  to  fall  through  on,  and  if  by  any 
possible  mischance  we  should  not  happen  to  get  quite 


IN    PURSUIT    OF    GAME. 


47 


enough  this  forenoon  we  will  run  out  a  little  while  after 
dinner,  near  town,  and  make  up  the  number." 

"  But,"  I  interposed,  "  three  hundred  rabbits  will 
be  quite  a  load,  and  how  are  we  going  to  handle 
them?" 


Mamillari-  Macromeris.  Echmocactus  Orcutti. 

TO  BE    HANDLED  WITH    CARE. 

"Why!  you  addle-pated  loon,  can't  you  see  beyond 
your  eye-winkers  ?  We  shall  have  to  go  to  the  livery 
stable,  of  course,  make  arrangements  for  a  rig,  with 
high  sideboards  on  a  double  wagon,  and  have  them 
carried  direct  from  the  field  to  the  market.  An  enter- 


48  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

prise  like  this  can't  be  carried  on  with  wind.  I  expect 
there  will  be  some  outlay,  but  where  we  spend  one 
dollar  we'll  make  ten.  It's  a  good  thing  to  know  some- 
thing when  a  man  is  three  thousand  miles  from  home." 

These  observations  being  rather  emphatic,  and 
fearing  my  partner  might  get  to  being  personal,  I 
thought  best  not  to  press  my  objections.  After  spend- 
ing some  time  in  these  deliberations,  however,  we 
found  it  was  getting  time  to  do  something  and  so  pro- 
ceeded without  returning  to  the  city  to  make  the  pro- 
posed contracts.  We  concluded  that  we  could  this  time 
pile  our  game  in  heaps  and  haul  it  to  market  in  the 
afternoon. 

Advancing  along  a  broken  wagon  road  through 
thickets  of  cactus,  chamisal  and  greecewood,  we  suc- 
ceeded at  last  in  reaching  the  sportsman's  paradise  so 
big  with  promise  —  not,  however,  without  encounter- 
ing a  number  of  difficulties  in  thevway.  One  of  these 
was  a  river,  which  at  that  time  was  swollen  from  melt- 
ing snows  on  the  mountains.  In  crossing  this  we  per- 
formed several  daring  feats  of  equestrianism  in  which 
conveyance,  steed  and  sports  all  barely  escaped  an 
aqueous  inhumation.  We  now  dismounted,  tethered 
our  beast  and  made  for  suitable  stumps  from  which,  as 
the  base  of  our  operations,  we  at  once  inaugurated  hos- 
tilities with  all  marketable  game  —  but  especially  the 
wily,  mischief-making  rodents  that  promised  such 
flattering  returns  to  both  skill  and  labor.  With  eyes, 
ears  and  guns  cocked,  we  boldly  awaited  our  victims. 
Now  and  then  a  stray  rabbit  would  leap  out  from  the 
thicket  and  instantly  disappear.  We  had  confidently 


IN    PUltSUIT    OF    GAME.  49 

believed  that  we  should  make  the  surrounding  country, 
for  at  least  a  radius  of  half  a  mile,  an  uninterrupted 
field  of  slaughter  —  a  scene  of  carnage  —  an  aceldama 
of  broken  bones,  a  sort  of  open-air  packing  house, 
from  which  cargoes  of  muscle-making  pabulum  would 
be  shipped  to  the  markets  of  the  state.  But 

' '  Oft  expectation  fails,  and  most  oft  there 

Where  most  it  promises." 
"  The  sweets  we  wish  for  turn  to  loathed  sours, 

Even  in  the  moment  we  call  them  ours." 

We  watched  and  waited  in  good  faith,  but  somehow 
the  rabbits  didn't  live  up  to  their  appointments.  Time 
flew  rapidly  on.  The  forenoon  was  fast  wearing  away ; 
our  forefingers  were  in  suspense  and  our  fore-tops  in 
painful  anxiety.  The  secretary,  indeed,  writhed  in 
mortal  restlessness;  he  couldn't  understand  the  situ- 
ation ;  his  three  hundred  jack  rabbits  didn't  show  up 
-  his  estimates  didn't  realize.  Changing  tactics,  re- 
pairing to  other  stumps,  lying  in  ambush,  skirmishing 
about  in  jungles  and  arroyos,  were  all  in  vain.  At  last, 
in  our  desperation,  we  threw  up  the  white  flag  to  these 
skulking  denizens  of  the  day  and  retreated  from  the 
field.  I  now  had  a  pressing  inspiration  to  call  the  at- 
tention of  my  comrade  to  the  superior  judgment  which 
I  had  evinced  in  opposing  heavy  contracts  on  an  uncer- 
tainty ;  but,  by  a  strong  effort  of  the  will  I  controlled 
these  impulses  and  repressed  the  inspiration.  Events 
which  followed  proved  my  wisdom  in  so  doing.  For 
before  sun-down  my  partner's  feelings  had  reached  a 
state  of  maturity,  which,  were  it  not  for  a  timely 
interposition,  would  have  culminated  tragically.  The 


50  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

circumstance  is  this  :  A  friend  of  ours  at  the  hotel, 
while  talking  to  another  about  the  school  building  at 
Los  Angeles,  inadvertently  used  the  word  "  contract," 
in  the  course  of  his  conversation.  My  partner  did 
not  seem  to  catch  the  connection,  and  proceeded  at 
once  to  make  a  personal  assault  upon  the  supposed  of- 
fender. With  flushed  face  and  jugular  vein  distended 
in  rage,  he  throttled  his  undeserving  victim  and 
threatened  his  equilibrium  before  I  had  time  to  inter- 
cede ;  nor  did  the  disturbance  entirely  subside  until  I 
had  carefully  explained,  and  fully  assured  the  secre- 
tary that  the  gentleman  referred  to  a  building  contract, 
and  was  making  no  allusion  whatever  to  our  rabbit 
enterprise. 

Bight  here,  in  justice  to  my  partner,  I  will  say,  I 
have  found  him,  on  the  whole,  docile,  good-humored 
and  easily  pleased.  There  appears,  in  fact,  only  this 
one  subject  upon  which  he  seems  to  be  especially 
sensitive,  and  I  therefore  respectfully  caution  the  pub- 
lic against  the  danger  of  ever  using,  in  his  hearing,  in 
any  ambiguous  or  equivocal  sense,  the  word  contract. 
To  be  actually  safe,  better  not  use  the  word  at  all  or 
any  word  that  might  be  mistaken  for  it.  For  this 
reason  the  word  compact  is  objectionable,  and  there  is 
no  absolute  security  except  in  the  use  of  such  terms  as 
"  covenant,"  "  written  or  parol  stipulation,"  "  mutually- 
concurred-in  arrangements,"  or  something  similar. 
The  word  contract  is  positively  hazardous. 

The  following  day  we  were  joined  in  our  recreations 
by  two  other  would-be  sports  —  the  one  a  capitalist 
from  Ohio,  who  is  here  speculating  in  real  estate,  the 


IN    PUKSUIT    OF    GAME. 


51 


MISTAKING    HIS    INTENT 


other  a  Chicago  commission  merchant.  These  were 
very  anxious  to  learn  the  use  of  fire-arms,  and  so  we 
admitted  them  into  our  circle,  which  was  thereupon 
designated  the  "  Consolidated  New  York,  Ohio  and 


52         GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

Illinois  Amateur  Sporting  Confederation."  This  name 
seemed  to  promise  the  institution  a  permanent  exist- 
ence ;  but  like  others  of  its  kind  it  proved  short-lived 
-  lasting  indeed,  but  a  single  day.  The  circumstances 
which  brought  about  its  dissolution  are  of  a  peculiar 
character,  and  I  hereby  propose  to  fearlessly  show  up 
the  inside  history  of  this  remarkable  organization, 
which  is  briefly  this  : 

The  Ohio  and  Illinois  members  of  the  league,  hob- 
nobbing with  the  "  contract"  division  of  its  New  York 
constituents  (the  secretary),  secured  a  defunct  jack 
rabbit  (which  they  probably  purchased  at  the  market), 
and  secretly  tied  him  up  to  a  short  stake,  in  the  same 
standing  attitude  which  is  assumed  in  the  chase.  They 
then  succeeded,  by  a  series  of  cunningly  contrived 
expedients,  in  decoying  your  humble  servant  to  the 
scene  of  action.  The  expression  of  ecstacy  which 
came  over  my  deluded  physiognomy,  as  I  beheld  the 
alluring  rodent,  erect  upon  his  haunches,  challenging 
my  skill,  was,  doubtless,  ineffable.  I  fell  to  my  knees 
to  escape  observation,  took  aim,  and  blazed  away.  The 
rabbit  didn't  move.  Another  bang,  and  the  beast  still 
stood  erect.  "I'll  swallow  my  gun  if  that  animal  isn't 
deaf  as  a  stone  wall,"  I  observed,  and  let  fly  another 
dose  of  civilization,  but  still  he  lived.  "  I'll  either 
kill  or  wake  up  that  totally  depraved  harlequin  of 
impudence,  if  I  fight  it  out  on  this  line  all  summer," 
I  continued,  and  crash  went  another  cartridge.  But 
the  dumb  beast  still  held  his  ground.  Click!  flash! 
clash !  flew  another  slug.  Volley  after  volley  followed, 
but  brazen-faced  jack  only  stared  with  a  sort  of  incor- 


IN   PURSUIT    OF   GAME.  53 

rigible  grin,  which  said,  ;' Crack  away;  I'm  not  afraid 
of  your  popgun."  More  and  more  incensed  by  this 
defiant  attitude,  I  continued  the  fusilade,  pouring  the 
shrapnel  into  his  obstinate  head  and  stiff-necked  back 
with  unrelenting  perseverance.  But  all  efforts  to 
reclaim  the  felonious  offspring  of  shameless  effront- 
ery seemed  in  vain.  Having  now  exhausted  all  my 
ammunition,  I  rushed  upon  my  plucky  antagonist  and 
was  about  to  break  down  his  back  with  the  stock  of  my 
gun,  when  I  discovered  that  he  was  securely  strapped 
to  a  stake.  My  chagrin  was  indeed  beyond  the  power 
of  computation,  but  I  resolutely  determined  to  main- 
tain my  dignity  and  keep  my  allies  in  blank  ignorance 
of  the  antics  which  I  had  performed  while  being  prac- 
ticed upon  by  this  reprehensible  species  of  charlatanry. 
But  what  was  my  surprise,  upon  turning  around,  to 
discover  my  comrade,  the  Ohio  capitalist  and  the  Chi- 
cago boodler,  gesticulating  in  the  tall  grass  close  by,  in 
hilarious  and  jubilant  convulsions.  I  should  have, 
doubtless,  opened  fire  upon  them  all  had  I  not  wasted 
my  ammunition  on  the  rabbit.  As  it  was,  being  de- 
fenseless, while  they  were  armed,  I  held  my  peace. 
My  only  redress  seemed  to  -  be  to  withdraw  from  the 
order  with  which  I  had  so  unfortunately  become  asso- 
ciated. So  I  withdrew.  The  other  members  said  they 
would  like  to  withdraw  also,  and  thereupon  the  C.  N. 
Y.  O.  and  I.  A.  S.  C.  was  dissolved.  But  this  did  not 
completely  solve  the  difficulty,  for,  when  we  reached 
the  hotel,  my  hunting  operations  were  carefully 
reviewed  and  publicly  commented  upon.  Of  course 
it  didn't  answer  to  show  out  any  atrabilarious  emotion 


54        GEAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

in  company,  while  to  make  a  personal  assault  upon  my 
defamers,  after  the  manner  of  the  secretary,  was  not 
in  keeping  with  the  moral  character  which  I  had  thus 
far  sustained.  But  if  an  unprincipled  crew  of  scribes, 
land  -  sharks  and  boodlers  ever  again  conspire  to 
fraudulently  inveigle  me  by  another  such  imposture  as 
this,  neither  decorum,  reputation  nor  family  antece- 
dents will  stay  the  hand  of  wrath  or  rob  the  scales  of 
retributive  justice.  Those  who  sow  the  wind  must 
expect  to  reap  the  whirlwind. 

The  following  day  was  the  Sabbath.  Not  feeling 
exactly  comfortable  at  the  hotel,  and  having  a  sort  of 
secret  premonition  that  something  would  be  said  in 
the  sermon  about  jack-rabbits,  I  arose  early  and  spent 
the  day  in  deep  meditation  far  up  the  Sawpit  canon 
of  the  Sierra  Madres.  In  this  remote  fastness  of  the 
mountains  I  encountered  a  venomous  rattlesnake.  The 
fearful  reptile  gave  the  usual  signal  of  danger  by 
shaking  his  ill-boding  rattles  until  the  air  was  filled 
with  an  ominous  whirr  like  that  of  swarming  locusts. 
For  a  few  seconds  things  were  generally  active.  Two 
rifle-balls,  one  through  the  back  and  the  other  in  the 
head,  soon  settled  the  question,  however,  and  I  passed 
on  "  like  other  conquerors,  to  muse  upon  the  fearful 
ruin  I  had  wrought." 

Now  I  know  that  the  veracity  of  this  adventure 
will  be  questioned  since  there  was  no  one  along  to 
witness  the  transaction.  But  I  stand  ready  to  swear 
by  the  perturbations  of  Jupiter,  the  sun's  parallax  and 
all  the  stars,  clusters  and  nebulous  aggregations  that 
will  parade  the  welkin  for  the  next  twelve  months, 


IN    PURSUIT    OF    GAME. 


55 


IRRECLAIMABLE. 


that  I  did  actually  encounter,  in  mortal  combat,  just 
such  a  fateful  monster  in  the  ragged  wilds  of  the  Si- 
erras. In  addition  to  this  sworn  statement,  I  can  show 
the  rear  appendage  of  the  reptile  in  proof,  and  indeed 
did  show  it  to  my  perfidious  friends  at  the  hotel. 


.56  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

They,  as  might  be  expected,  contested  my  title  to  the 
distinction  I  claimed,  and  declared  I  had  found  the  ev- 
idence of  my  alleged  achievement  somewhere  in  the 
way,  or  else  bribed  the  dealer  in  curiosities  to  open 
his  shop  on  Sunday.  Now,  I  don't  like  to  call  on  any 
more  of  the  celestial  luminaries,  but  if  worst  comes  to 
worst,  I  will  go  on  and  summon  the  whole  cosmogony 
to  bear  witness  to  the  truth  of  this  adventure.  I  have 
been  argued  out  of  several  of  my  favorite  adventures 
already,  and  am  not  going  to  be  talked  out  of  this  one 
if  I  have  to  sit  up  nights  to  defend  it. 

Since  coming  to  this  country,  many  Eastern  friends 
have  made  personal  inquiries  of  me  concerning  the 
game  to  be  found  in  Southern  California.  I  meant  to 
have  got  at  this  part  of  the  subject  before  this,  but  the 
foregoing  prelude  seemed  necessary  to  show  up  the  im- 
pressive rites  and  ceremonies  by  which  the  novitiate  is 
admitted  into  the  mystic  arcana  of  this  exciting  field  of 
activity. 

Besides  the  Eastern  tourist  himself,  we  have  here 
in  the  way  of  game,  notably  the  deer,  jackass  and  cot- 
ton-tail  rabbits,  California  plumed  and  mountain 
quails;  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ocean  and  inland 
lakes,  large  quantities  of  geese  and  ducks.  The  larger 
game,  such  as  the  grizzly,  black  and  cinnamon  bear, 
formerly  common  in  all  the  mountain  ranges  of  Cali- 
fornia, are  now  so  retired  to  the  inaccessible  portions 
of  the  Sierras  that  few  efforts  are  made  to  hunt  them 
out.  In  this  southern  region  they  are  practically  ex- 
tinct. Not  very  long  ago,  however,  a  large  grizzly 
was  seen  a  few  rods  back  of  this  hotel,  walking  off 


IN   PURSUIT    OF   GAME.  57 

with  a  bee-hive  under  his  arm  toward  the  mountains. 
Mountain  sheep  or  big-horn  are  getting  very  scarce, 
although  it  is  rumored  that  a  herd  of  considerable  size 
rove  about  in  the  region  of  perpetual  snow  on  the 
summit  of  "  Old  Baldy,"  one  of  the  highest  peaks  of 
the  Sierra  Madras.  Deer  are  occasionally  taken  in 
this  part  of  the  State,  but  more  often  further  north. 
Occasionally  the  sportsman  has  the  good  fortune  to 
find,  in  his  wanderings,  the  locked  antlers  of  the  deer. 
These  are  considered  nearly  as  great  a  triumph  as  to 
gather  in  the  "bounding  roebuck." 

At  certain  seasons  of  the  year  the  bucks  engage  in 
fearful  combats,  in  which  the  horns  spring  and  become 
inseparably  interlaced.  Once  joined  in  this  mysteri- 
ous manner,  the  late  bitter  foes  spend  their  remaining 
days  in  peace  together  —  at  least  until  one  of  them 
dies  —  when  the  other,  gradually  disenthralled  from 
the  spell  which  binds  him  to  his  mate  in  this  strange 
alliance,  shakes  off  the  decomposing  body  of  his  part- 
ner and  again  is  free.  The  antlers  of  his  antagonist, 
however,  are  borne  aloft,  telling  the  tale  of  a  battle 
both  lost  and  won.  An  old  hunter  at  this  place  gives 
an  account  of  another  curious  phenomenon  similar  to 
this.  A  party  of  his  acquaintance  saw  a  buck  bound- 
ing through  the  forest  with  a  sort  of  globe  attached  to 
his  antlers.  Upon  killing  the  animal  the  curious  ob- 
ject proved  to  be  a  human  skull  —  the  remnant  of  a 
luckless  adventurer  who  had  fallen  prey  to  one  of  his 
merciless  blows. 

Feathered  game  abounds  in  this  region.  When  at 
San  Diego  I  saw  thousands  of  water  birds,  such  as 


58  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

Canada  geese  (called  here  honkers)  ;  speckled-breasted, 
white-billed,  brown  and  China  brants;  mallard  and 
canvas-back  ducks,  besides  spoonbills,  teals,  blue-bills 
and  red-heads  in  great  number.  As  we  passed  Elsi- 
nore  lake  the  shore  was  literally  lined  with  this  class 
of  game.  I  have  seen  flocks  of  geese  over  a  mile  in 
length  passing  over  this  valley,  preparing  to  make  raids 
upon  the  wheat  fields  further  north.  The  albatros, 
cormorant,  pelican  and  sea-gull  haunt  the  seashore. 

But  by  far  the  most  distinctively  gamey  of  all  Cali- 
fornia's fauna,  worthy  of  the  chase,  is  the  plumed  quail 
and  the  wily  jack-rabbit.  The  California  plumed  quail 
is  very  plentiful  in  this  country,  and  no  fancy  price  is 
served  up  with  quail  on  toast.  Yet  one  needs  to  be 
alert  to  be  successful  in  hunting  the  quail.  These 
birds  run  along  the  ground  inviting  pursuit — seeming 
to  know  the  exact  range  of  your  fowling  piece.  When 
this  limit  is  reached  they  take  to  the  air,  and  this  is 
the  time  to  take  them — on  the  wing.  The  mountain 
quail  is  somewhat  larger,  but  unsuspecting,  and  easily 
captured.  I  was  once  deluded  into  shooting  one  of 
these,  supposing  them  to  be  like  the  rest  of  the  quail 
tribe — able  to  take  care  of  themselves. 

Concerning  the  jack-rabbit  there  seems  to  be  a  pre- 
vailing misconception.  Among  unlettered  races  few 
have  been  more  shamefully  misrepresented.  He  is 
not  the  indiscreet,  silly  fellow  supposed,  and  the  sports- 
man who  pursues  him  on  regulation  principles  soon 
finds  it  out.  Give  him  a  respectable  showing  and  he 
soon  convinces  you  that  he  is  anything  but  a  non  com- 
pos mentis.  An  animal  that  will  run,  dodge,  walk  on 


CALIFORNIA  VULTURE. 

Next  to  the  largest  flying  bird  in  the  world,- four  feet  high,  spread   of  wings  ten  to 
twelve  feet.—nearly  extinct. 


60  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OE   THE    WEST. 

tiptoes,  crawl  on  his  belly,  skulk,  hide,  hobble  as  if 
wounded,  and  then,  at  a  second's  notice,  shoot  like  a 
pencil  of  light  across  sward  and  fallow,  is  no  freshman 
at  the  business.  The  most  approved  method  of  taking 
this  game  seems  to  be,  as  in  hunting  the  quail,  "  on 
the  fly,"  with  a  shot  gun.  The  moment  they  appear, 
even  if  at  considerable  distance,  is  the  appointed  time. 
Once  under  headway  they  are  lost  and  that  without 
remedy.  Shooting  from  the  carriage  is  contrary  to 
all  ideas  of  decorum;  for,  becoming  accustomed  to  the 
sight  of  moving  vehicles,  they  continue  to  crop  the 
cabbage  leaf,  gnaw  the  sapling  or  stare  with  indiffer- 
ence, and  thus  become  an  easy  prey.  The  devout 
sportsman  disdains  to  take  any  mean  advantage  of  the 
unsuspecting  rodent  and  no  more  thinks  of  firing  upon 
him  on  such  occasions,  than  he  would  think  of  dunning 
a  friend  at  an  evening  party  or  firing  on  a  flag  of  truce. 
Honor  bright!  in  all  things,  as  well  in  killing  jacks  as  in 
trading  mules. 

But  by  far  the  most  exciting,  as  well  as  exhilarat- 
ing, mode  of  pursuit  is  that  with  horse  and  grey- 
hound. Mounted  on  a  fast-flying  steed  and  attended 
by  one  or  more  of  these  light-legged  coursers,  the 
pursuer  has  about  an  equal  chance  with  the  pursued. 
There  are  sporting  clubs  at  Pasadena,  Los  Angeles 
and  all  the  principal  towns  of  Southern  California. 
Coursing  is  a  favorite  diversion  of  these  organizations, 
and  both  ladies  and  gents  participate.  California  has 
the  finest  dogs  and  horses  on  the  continent,  and  in  the 
pursuit  of  these  long-eared,  light-footed,  mischief - 
making  elfs  of  the  soil,  many  a  high  mettle  is  put  to 


IN    PURSUIT    OF    GAME. 


61 


the  test.  The  tramp  of  beating  hoofs,  the  incessant 
baying  of  hounds  and  blowing  of  horns  create  a  scene 
of  wild  excitement  and  fun  without  limit.  But  this  is 
not  all.  "  Good  digestion  waits  on  appetite,  and 
health  on  both."  Dyspepsia  forgets  to  practice  on 
you,  melancholy  abandons  his  trade  and  gout  looks  up 
another  job.  The  farmer,  too,  pleased  with  your  oper- 
ations, invites  you  to  his  pomes,  and  says:  "  God 
bless  the  sport." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CLIMBING  THE  SIERRA  MADRES. 

The  writer  having  been  invited  to  join  a  select  party 
in  the  ascent  of  Mount  Wilson,  and  this  invitation 
promising  temporary  relief  from  my  friends,  who 
seemed  to  have  no  interest  in  discussing  any  subject 
but  obstinate  jacks,  was  gracefully  accepted.  At  an 
early  hour,  the  following  morning,  all  were  ready  for 
the  much-anticipated  trip.  The  elements  composing 
this  mountain-climbing  battalion  were  six  in  number  — 
a  gentleman  from  England,  his  wife,  two  other  ladies, 
the  son  of  a  Wisconsin  millionaire  and  the  writer.  At 
first  1  was  considerably  puzzled  to  understand  why 
such  small  potatoes  as  myself  and  the  Wisconsin  chap 
should  have  been  let  into  this  select  circle  in  such  a 
royal  expedition ;  but  before  the  journey  was  completed 
this  mystery  was  cleared  up.  It  appears  that  this  son 
of  the  "  wild-rushing  channel "  State  had  made  the 
trip  before,  and  was  therefore  a  "very  convenient  ac- 
cessory to  act  as  guide  to  the  rest  of  the  party.  As 
for  myself,  there  were  perhaps  other  reasons,  but  as 
yet  I  have  been  able  to  discover  but  one,  and  that  will 
shortly  appear. 

Scarcely  had  Aurora  mounted  her  chariot  in  the 
East  when  the  chosen  six  mounted  their  talaho  and 
dashed  away  over  the  plains  of  the  San  Gabriel  to  meet 
her.  But  we  seemed  to  make  the  best  time,  and  be- 

62 


CLIMBING    THE    SIERRA    MADRES.  63 

\ 

fore  the  "  rosy-fingered  daughter  of  the  dawn "  had 
brushed  away  the  ocean  mists,  our  feet  were  planted 
on  the  trail  and  the  great  feat  of  pedestrianism  fairly 
inaugurated.  The  turn-out,  which  brought  us  to  the 
foot  of  the  mountains,  returned  to  the  nearest  hostelry 
while  its  freight  of  human  souls  went  marching  on  up 
the  steeps. 

In  order  that  the  magnitude  of  this  undertaking 
may  be  more  full  appreciated,  it  should  be  explained 
that  Mount  Wilson  is  seven  thousand  feet  high  and  its 
summit  only  accessible  by  means  of  a  narrow  footpath 
between  seven  and  eight  miles  long.  The  ascent  in 
many  places  is  very  precipitous,  and  here  and  there 
the  tourist  passes  along  the  edge  of  precipices  from 
five  hundred  to  perhaps  one  thousand  feet  deep.  .  Very 
few  people  have  the  courage  to  undertake  the  journey 
and  still  fewer  ever  succeed  in  reaching  the  summit. 

With  walking  sticks  in  hand  we  started  out  at  the 
moderate  pace  of  about  one  and  a  quarter  miles  per 
hour  to  make  the  venturesome  jaunt — flagon  and  snack 
being  strapped  to  the  back  of  our  high-born  guide. 
At  this  juncture  the  writer's  mission  also  became  ap- 
parent. The  lordly  English  gent  committed  his  wife 
to  my  care  and  guidance,  and  pushed  on  without  cere- 
mony toward  the  summit.  Of  course  I  could  not  enter 
protest  against  this  procedure.  In  fact  I  had  no  time. 
The  shuffle  was  made  so  adroitly  and  with  so  little 
formality  that  I  did  not  fairly  wake  up  to  the  situation 
until  my  friend  (?)  was  out  of  sight  and  then  it  was 
too  late.  I  concluded,  therefore,  to  accept  the  inevit- 
able as  gracefully  as  I  had  accepted  the  optional  in 


CLIMBING    THE    SIERRA    MADRES.  65 

joining  the  party,  and  be  as  gallant  and  good-natured 
as  though  I  had  not  the  thought  of  being  made  a  vic- 
tim to  drudgery.  But  as  we  moved  on  at  a  moderate 
gait,  slowly  surmounting  the  "  rocky  steep,"  I  chafed 
to  push  forward  and  make  faster  progress ;  but  what 
with  the  incumbrance  of  my  fair  female  attendants; 
what  with  the  increasing  heat  of  the  sun  and  the  in- 
disposition of  our  guide,  time  rapidly  flew,  but  space 
seemed  practically  at  a  standstill.  I  became  restless 
and  began  to  feel  the  weight  of  the  burden  on  my 
hands.  Not  that  any  fault  could  be  found  with  the 
company — for  this  was  select.  The  Englishman's  wife, 
indeed,  was  a  most  charming  and  estimable  young  lady, 
graced  with  those  ornaments  of  heart  and  intellect 
which  form  the  true  glory  of  woman.  She  had  traveled 
around  the  world,  was  communicative,  and  imparted 
much  valuable  information  about  countries  I  had  never 
visited.  But  what  of  that  ?  These  amenities,  devoutly 
to  be  coveted  as  they  are  on  ordinary  occasions,  are 
nothing  to  the  purpose,  when,  burning  in  the  bosom, 
is  the  all-controlling  ambition  to  reach  the  top  of  a 
mountain.  But  it  was  of  no  use  to  protest.  We  pushed 
on  as  best  we  could,  gradually  increasing  our  speed, 
urged  at  intervals  by  the  censorious  voice  of  our  rene- 
gade comrade  far  above  us. 

After  a  persevering  climb  of  about  two  hours  and  a 
half  we  succeeded  in  reaching  the  "half-way  house," 
where  a  snow-fed  stream  of  rejuvenating  liquid 
greeted  our  famished  labials.  Here,  too,  was  a  hut 
and  a  few  household  utensils  —  remnants  of  the  per- 
sonality of  a  hermit  who  lived  here  many  years  ago. 
5 


66  GKAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF   THE   WEST. 

The  dwelling  is  surrounded  by  an  orchard  made  up  of 
various  kinds  of  fruit,  presenting  on  the  whole  an  ad- 
mirable picture  for  the  pen  of  the  romancer.  After 
resting  awhile  in  the  mystic  shade  of  this  ancient  re- 
cluse, wondering  the  while  how  the  stove,  which  still 
remained,  could  have  been  transported  up  the  moun- 
tain which  no  vehicle  could  traverse,  we  resumed  the 
march.  There  were  still  about  three  miles  and  a  half 
of  toilsome  climbing  before  us.  But  the  limpid  stream, 
cool  and  refreshing,  and  the  means  for  rest  at  the  old 
hermitage,  had  somehow  placed  the  company  on  a  new 
footing  and  we  advanced  a  mile  or  more  with  renewed 
energy  and  courage. 

But  ho  !  what's  this  ?  Alas  !  a  slide,  or  sort  of 
quicksand  in  the  trail  !  Who  will  venture  to  cross 
this  ?  Just  to  one  side  is  a  deep  precipice.  Should 
our  footing  fail  we  would  plunge  down  forty  rods  or 
more  among  the  rocks  into  irretrievable  destruction. 
Who  will  venture  ?  We  all  stood  aghast.  One  of  the 
ladies  suggests  that  as  Mr.  H.  had  gone  over  she 
thought  we  would  be  safe  in  attempting  to  cross.  Mrs. 
H.  suggests  that  her  husband's  getting  over  safely 
was  no  criterion  for  us,  there  being  no  danger  of  his 
getting  killed  until  he  had  reformed.  After  some  de- 
liberation, however,  we  ventured,  and,  by  clinging  to 
shrubs  and  roots  that  projected  over  the  trail,  we  suc- 
ceeded in  passing  this  formidable  barrier  to  our  pro- 
gress. 

For  two  hours  we  pushed  onward  and  upward  with 
good  grit,  all  the  time  stimulated  to  persist  by  the  con- 
stant delusion  that  we  are  within  a  few  rods  of  the 


CLIMBING   THE    SIERRA   MADRES.  67 

summit.  But  like  the  feast  prepared  for  Ixion  in 
Tartarus,  this  summit  continually  evaded  our  covetous 
grasp  just  as  we  were  about  to  revel  in  its  promised 
delights.  It  was  like  ascending  a  winding  staircase  or 
climbing  on  the  thread  of  an  Archimedes  screw —  lots 
of  distance,  little  progress.  However,  at  about  one 
o'clock  p.  m.  we  reached  a  summit  —  but  not  the  high- 
est one.  "Isn't  this  provoking!"  exclainls  one  of  the 
ladies.  We  are  all  of  one  opinion  on  this  point  — 
hence  no  discussion  as  to  the  sentiments  severally  en- 
tertained. 

There  is  another  half  mile  or  more  to  reach  the 
highest  peak  of  Mount  Wilson.  But  the  Wisconsin 
wing  of  the  rear  division  is  completely  exhausted  and 
the  ladies  likewise  —  no  more  mountain  climbing  for 
them.  Refreshments  are  therefore  ordered  and,  with- 
out much  deliberation,  it  is  concluded  to  abandon  the 
balance  of  the  expedition. 

But  far  up  in  the  heights  above  we  hear  the  inces- 
sant calling  of  our  advance  guard.  The  sound  comes 
to  us  so  broken  and  indistinct  that  one  of  the  ladies 
suggests  that  our  deserter  may  be  in  trouble.  Avail- 
ing myself  of  a  certain  inborn  disposition  to  forgive,  I 
voluntered  to  go  to  his  rescue.  In  view  of  his  treason- 
able conduct  in  the  morning  I  confess  there  were  no 
special  emotions  of  love  spurring  me  on  to  this  noble 
deed.  But  on  general  principles  and  in  the  interest  of 
humanity  I  determined  to  inaugurate  a  sort  of  Sir 
John  Franklin  expedition  to  this  -frozen  peak  of  the 
Sierra  Madres,  in  search  of  the  lost  explorer. 

Loading  up  both  internally   and    externally    with 


CLIMBING   THE   SIERRA   MADRES.  69 

suitable  refreshments,  and  taking  leave  of  my  fair 
companions  and  the  foot-sore  and  broken-winded  son 
of  fortune,  I  pushed  off  in  search  of  the  confidence 
man,  following  his  foot-tracks  in  the  snow.  To  fitly 
describe  this  part  of  the  trip  is  not  so  easy  a  task.  To 
say  that  it  was  laborious  would  be  begging  the  ques- 
tion. To  say  that  it  was  a  herculean  job  is  not  definite. 
In  ascending  to  the  lower  summit,  we  had  encountered 
snow  and  ice,  but  there  was  this  difference:  The  ice 
down  there  was  cool  and  wet,  dripping  like  a  fresh  fried 
doughnut,  while  here  it  was  dry  and  cold.  The  snow, 
instead  of  being  six  inches  deep,  was  all  the  way  from 
six  feet  to  six  fathoms.  The  snow,  like  the  ice,  was 
dry  and  hard.  The  incline  was  very  steep,  and  in 
many  places  advancement  was  possible  only  by  kick- 
ing the  toe  of  the  boot  into  the  hard-crusted  snow 
and  climbing  as  on  a  ladder.  But  half  the  trials  of 
this  part  of  the  trip  have  not  been  hinted.  Many  a 
time  I  threw  myself  down  exhausted  upon  a  project- 
ing rock  or  the  baro  snow  itself,  puffing  like  a  mouse 
in  a  vacuum.  Many  a  time  I  resolved  to  abandon  fur- 
ther operations  and  return  to  my  friends  below.  But 
this  seemed  ignominious.  At  last,  however,  on  reach- 
ing a  point  where  the  walls  of  the  mountain  rose  very 
nearly  perpendicularly,  I  resolved  to  go  no  further. 
At  this  crisis,  reverberating  among  the  pines,  rang 
out  more  distinctly  the  voice  of  the  excelsior  man, 
urging  me  to  come  on. 

"  Oh  !  I'm  all  right  down  here,"  I  answered,  gasp- 
ing for  breath.  "What's  the  use  in  going  higher? 
there  is  scenery  enough  here  if  a  man  doesn't  want 


70  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 


THE  LAST  PULL. 

the  earth  ;    all   I'm    after  is  to  find    out   if   you  are 
alive." 

"  Come  on!  "  again  echoed  among  the  pines.  "  You 
are  almost  to  the  top — a  few  rods  further  and  you  will 
find  it  almost  level  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile. 


CLIMBING    THE    SIEKKA   MADEES.  71 

"  All  right,"  I  replied,  making  a  desperate  effort  to 
conceal  my  want  of  breath.  "I'll  come  right  along." 

So  saying,  I  began  by  striking  the  toes  of  my 
boots  into  the  sides  of  the  peak  as  before,  and,  grasp- 
ing the  branches  of  trees  and  shrubs  that  projected 
from  the  snow,  I  climbed  on,  panting  all  the  while 
like  a  hounded  roe-buck.  Time  and  again  I  halted  on 
some  projecting  rock — as  often  mustered  new  courage 
and  pressed  nobly  on."  My  breathing  utensils  were 
now  puffing  and  blowing  like  a  blacksmith's  bellows, 
and  my  heart  thumping  like  a  snare  drum.  But  lo! 
as  I  clamber  on  among  the  pine  trunks  I  espy  the  top 
close  by.  "  Eureka  !  "  One  more  determined  effort 
and  I  reach  it.  "  Venio  vinco  I  three  cheers  !  I've 
made  it!"  A  fourth  aunt  coming  to  stay  all  summer 
couldn't  have  been  more  jubilant  than  I  was  at  that 
moment,  as  the  gates  of  heaven  literally  swung  wide 
open  before  me. 

Running  along  over  the  summit  some  fifty  or  sixty 
rods,  I  discover  John  Bull  standing  on  a  rock  at  the 
apex  of  the  mountain,  drinking  in  the  scenery  with 
commendable  gusto.  Extending  his  hand  to  help  me 
on  to  the  rock,  he  exclaims,  in  wild  wonder  : 

"  How,  in  the  name  of  heaven,  did  you  succeed  in 
getting  up  here?" 

"How,  in  the  name  of  Ehadamanthos,  did  you?"  I 
retorted. 

"  Why  !  I'm  used  to  such  things,  but  I  would 
have  wagered  the  best  horse  011  Baldwin's  ranch  that 
you  never  would  have  got  here." 

"  I  never  have  got  here?     Great  Gaul!  if  it  hadn't 


CLIMBING    THE    SIERRA    MADRES.  73 

been  for  the  women  and  other  baggage,  I  would  have 
been  liere  hours  ago.  My  only  regret  now  is,  that  the 
mountain  isn't  higher." 

Hereupon  I  intercepted  further  comment  by  pro- 
ducing the  oranges  which  distended  my  pockets  and 
delivering  them  to  my  conceited  rival.  Receiving 
them  with  glowing  hands,  he  surrounded  them  like 
legerdemain.  To  watch  the  poor,  faint  and  famished 
mountain-sealer  as  he  made  these  citrous  globes  "fade 
like  a  wreath  of  mist "  before  him,  was  enough  to 
move  the  heart  of  a  dinothere  or  make  a  trilobite  sing 
the  national  ode.  It  was  really  worth  the  pains  of  the 
whole  trip.  I  was,  therefore,  doubly  paid  for  making 
the  ascent,  for  it  was  also  well  worth  the  trip  to  stand 
there  on  the  pinnacle  of  the  grand  old  mountain  and 
look  out  on  the  universe. 

What  a  panorama!  For  fifty  miles,  cities,  towns 
and  hamlets  ;  orchards,  vineyards,  highways  and 
arroyos  spread  out  below  us  in  pigmy  proportions. 
To  the  rear,  nameless  spurs  and  ridges  of  the  Sierra 
Madres,  covered  with  snow,  roll  away  in  the  distance 
till  lost  in  the  northern  sky.  Deep,  winding  canons 
thread  the  mountains  in  various  directions;  valleys 
bloom  with  tropical  luxuriance  below,  and  the  blue 
Pacific  stretches  away  into  the  limitless  ether,  guarded 
here  and  there  by  rocky  islands  projecting  abruptly 
from  the  midst  of  its  peaceful  waters. 

While  drinking  in  the  inspiration  of  these  upper 
realms  the  descending  sun  warns  us  to  hasten  our 
downward  career.  We  obey  the  injunction  by  bending 
Spanish  bayonets  (which  grow  on  the  heights)  into 


74        GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

the  form  of  V  and  ride  down  from  one  declivity  to  an- 
other like  shooting  stars.  There  is  surely  nothing  in 
the  category  of  amusement  which  compares  with  the 
transcendant  fun  of  this  style  of  locomotion.  Tobog- 
gans and  roller-coasters  are  simply  nowhere.  It's  like 
getting  astride  the  parabole  of  a  comet  and  riding 
triumphantly  through  space. 

Joining  the  lower  detachment  of  our  party  just  in 
time  to  secure  the  remnants  of  a  lunch  basket,  we  as- 
sure our  expectant  friends  that  they  have  lost  at  least 
a  solid  year  of  real  life  and  advise  a  hasty  retreat.  So 
gathering  up  our  maiizanita  walking  poles,  we  push 
downward  through  chamisal  and  snow  into  a  milder 
clime.  Soon  emerging  from  the  region  of  snow  our 
senses  are  again  regaled  by  the  cheering  sight  of 
larkspurs  and  lupines,  blooming  by  the  way,  and  the 
aromatic  breath  of  the  valley  rising  from  the  mesas 
and  foot-hills  beneath  us.  We  descend  all  the  way 
with  gratifying  speed  and  reach  the  foot  of  the  trail, 
where  our  coach  is  in  readiness,  just  as  the  sun  goes 
down.  The  hotel  at  which  we  stopped  also  very  near- 
ly went  down  before  we  satisfied  the  cravings  superin- 
duced by  this  excursion  to  the  top  of  Mount  Wilson. 
Were  it  not  for  the  opportune  arrival  of  a  party  of 
Boston  dyspeptics,  the  institution  would  surely  have 
collapsed.  But  it  seems  to  be  on  a  good  footing  now 
and  the  landlord  looks  encouraged. 


VIEW  IN  SAN  ANTONIO  CANON.  ONTARIO,  CAL. 


CHAPTEE  V. 

RAMBLES  BY  RAIL. 

The  next  day  after  a  careful  diagnosis  of  our 
anatomies  we  concurred  in  the  verdict  that  traveling  by 
rail  was  a  more  approved  method  of  locomotion.  En- 
tertaining these  sentiments  we  separated  —  our  English 
friends  embarking  for  Honolulu,  while  the  secretary, 
who,  the  day  before,  had  refused  to  place  his  tendons 
in  competition  with  those  of  the  long- eared  burro, 
joined  the  writer  in  making  further  explorations  about 
the  southern  part  of  the  state. 

These  ramblings  comprehended  a  visit  to  the  old 
Mission  at  San  Gabriel,  a  town,  by  the  way,  that 
poorly  represents  the  average  attractions  of  a  Southern 
California  villa.  Here  the  white  cottages  of  Mexican 
tenants,  glancing  in  the  bright  sunlight,  their  drowsy 
occupants,  strolling  listlessly  about  the  verandas,  and 
children  lazily  swinging  upon  gates,  and  hammocks,  im- 
pressed us  with  the  conviction  that  we  had  unmistak- 
ably struck  a  dead  municipality.  But  fearing  the  com- 
ing tourist  may  imagine  that  such  of  the  natives  as  are 
stretched  out  in  defunct  postures  are  also  dead,  it 
might  be  well  to  explain  that  they  are  only  dead 
drunk.  Apart  from  the  Mission,  there  is  little  here 
that  is  edifying  and  other  Missions  on  the  Coast  are 
quite  as  interesting.  It  is,  in  fact,  their  historical  as- 
sociations that  give  them  notoriety.  After  paying  our 

76 


AND  OUTSIDE   HEADERS. 


78        GKAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

respects  and  fees  to  this  antiquated  relic  of  the  padres, 
we  availed  ourselves  of  the  first  opportunity  to  get  out 
of  town. 

At  Ontario,  a  few  miles  to  the  east,  on  the  South- 
ern Pacific,  such  a  strange  contrast  is  presented  that 
we  were  as  much  concerned  about  leaving  as  we  had 
lately  been  in  being  laid  off  among  the  forbidding  ex- 
hibitions of  squalid  San  Gabriel.  In  the  vicinity  of 
this  place,  Ontario,  there  are  a  number  of  canons 
of  remarkable  beauty  leading  into  the  Sierra  Madres. 
These  the  tourist  should  visit.  Here,  too  is  probably 
the  finest  eucalyptus  avenue  in  Southern  California. 
In  its  refreshing  shade  one  enjoys  a  country  drive 
along  a  thoroughfare  possessing  elements  of  beauty  of 
which  its  rival  Euclid  can  not  boast.  The  mountain 
scenery  between  Ontario  and  Riverside  is  probably 
also  unrivaled  in  Southern  California.  Cucumonga, 
San  Jacinto  and  Old  Baldy  (the  latter  two  miles  high) 
all  lift  their  snowy  coronets  with  royal  dignity  and  the 
lesser  peaks  seem  to  vie  with  each  other  in  vain  efforts 
to  scale  the  firmament. 

Pomona,  the  noted  orange  town,  and  San  Bernar- 
dino, whose  flowing  artesian  wells  are  visible  from  the 
railroad,  are  both  on  the  line  and  the  latter  is  much 
visited  by  people  from  abroad. 

At  Eiverside  the  tourist  wanders  literally  through 
miles  of  orange  groves,  and  (if  no  dogs  or  vigilance 
committees  intervene)  he  safely  plucks  from  fragrant 
boughs  large  and  luscious  pendants  of  saporific  gold. 

From  this  fruit  and  floral  paradise  we  proceeded 
back"  to  the  coast,  where  we  more  sensibly  detected  the 


80  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

subtle  sea  breeze,  distilling  its  vaporous  tonic,  and 
where  we  watched  with  emotion  the  huge  porpoise 
rolling  in  the  surf.  But  men  and  boys  seemed  also  to 
enjoy  the  briny  deep  equally  well  with  the  porpoise. 
A  hot  sea  bath  is  another  seaside  luxury,  especially  to 
the  invalid  and  those  of  delicate  constitutions.  The 
tonic  effect  of  these  ablutions  is  such  that  one  really 
forgets  his  old-time  prejudice  against  water.  Even 
the  man  who  took  the  worst  cold  of  his  life  in  his  last 
bathing  operation  twenty-eight  years  ago,  seems  en- 
thusiastic over  these  briny  recreations. 

The  chief  coast  resorts  of  Southern  California  are, 
in  order  from  the  south,  San  Diego,  Santa  Monica, 
Santa  Barbara  and  Monterey  —  all  saints  but  one,  and 
this  has  the  distinction  of  a  name  that  makes  it  King's 
Mountain.  All  of  them  are  full  of  interest,  all  have 
the  usual  seaside  attractions  —  fine  hotels,  ample  facil- 
ities for  bathing,  boating,  yachting,  and  all  the  ordi- 
nary means  of  amusement  and  diversion. 

Monterey,  the  early  capital  of  California,  commonly 
classed  as  a  Southern  California  town,  is  most  conven- 
iently reached  from  San  Francisco  —  the  Southern  Pa- 
cific having  put  on  the  fastest  train  of  the  State, 
reaching  this  noted  resort,  a  distance  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  miles,  in  three  and  a  half  hours.  The 
Del  Monte  Hotel  near  by  has  a  world-wide  reputa- 
tion. It  is  in  the  midst  of  beautiful  parks,  verdant 
lawns  and  floral  gardens,  everything  being  tropical  and 
suggestive  of  affluence  and  beauty.  It  is  easily  reached 
from  Monterey  by  an  excellent  macadamized  road  that 
passes  through  Pacific  and  Cypress  Groves,  by  the 
old  Mission  and  these  places. 


82        GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

Santa  Cruz,  the  most  frequented  by  San  Francis- 
cans of  any  of  the  Pacific  Coast  towns,  is  also  on 
Monterey  Bay,  but  at  the  opposite  end.  Added  to  the 
usual  seaside  attractions  are  the  noted  redwoods  near 
by,  called  the  "big  trees,"  one  of  which  is  three  hun- 
dred feet  high  and  sixty  feet  around, —  thus  approach- 
ing in  magnitude  the  big  trees  proper. 

In  the  vicinity  of  these  resorts  in  the  mountains  of 
the  Coast  Eange  nature  has  indeed  been  lavish  with 
her  arboreal  attractions.  Just  as  the  farmer  finds  a 
depth  and  variety  of  soil  unknown  in  the  East,  so  here 
the  botanist  finds  in  his  favorite  field  of  study  a 
wealth  and  diversity  of  vegetable  growths  unap- 
proached  by  any  other  State  in  the  Union. 

The  mossy, gnarled,  tough-fibered  Monterey  cypress, 
growing  upon  rocks  close  by  the  sea,  is  one  of  the 
many  interesting  vegetable  curiosities  of  this  locality. 
It  is  in  fact  the  only  specimen  of  the  kind  known  ex- 
cept one  other  at  another  point  on  the  coast. 

In  this  region,  also  flourishes  the  eucalyptus,  or 
Australian  blue-gum,  so  universal  in  the  settled  por- 
tions of  Southern  California.  This  is  a  truly  repre- 
sentative tree  of  the  Pacific  Slope.  It  grows  so  rap- 
idly that  within  the  limits  of  half  a  dozen  years,  it  be- 
comes a  respectable  shade-producer,  acquiring  a  mag- 
nitude that  strikingly  suggests  the  rapid  growth  of  a 
boom  town. 

The  madrona,  or  arbutus,  is  another  remarkable 
specimen.  Its  bark  is  as  smooth  and  clean  cut  as  the 
persuasion  of  a  land  agent,  and  the  tree  has  a  grace  of 
attitude  and  motion  from  the  study  of  which  an  actress 
might  profit.  Yet  with  all  its  grace  and  beauty,  it  is 


SCENE  IN  THE  COAST  RANGE. 


84  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

not  a  pigmy  in  its  kingdom,  one  specimen  near  San 
Francisco  being  twenty-three  feet_  in  circumference. 
The  species  often  grows  to  the  height  of  one  hundred 
feet,  throwing  out  in  every  direction  its  lithe  and 
mystic  branches  laden  with  cream-tinted  blossoms. 

But,  while  this  whole  region  is  replete  with  peculiar 
and  noted  representatives  of  the  vegetable  kingdom, 
fair  and  fascinating,  it  is  the  omnipresence  of  the 
various  varieties  of  oak  that  most  surprise  the  tourist 
from  abroad.  It  would  be  in  vain  to  attempt  to  cata- 
logue these,  or  give  the  reader  an  adequate  idea  of 
their  propensity  to  assume  shapes,  postures  and  colo- 
cations  that  seem  specially  designed  to  please.  I  have 
seen  lawns  and  parks  and  promenades  laid  out  by 
nature  and  ornamented  with  these  trees  that  would  put 
to  route  the  labored  efforts  of  the  cleverest  arboricul- 
turist. 

Here  too  are  to  be  seen  pines  almost  as  various  and 
diverse  as  the  ubiquitous  oak,  some  of  which  are  found 
growing  at  the  water's  edge.  The  pines  of  the  Sierras 
however,  outdo  those  of  the  Coast  Range,  and  to  these 
majestic  dwellers  of  the  heights,  I  shall  have  occasion 
to  allude  in  connection  with  the  Sequoias  of  the  giant 
forests. 

The  odoriferous  laurel  and  aromatic  nutmeg,  in 
certain  groves  of  this  vicinity,  are  also  to  be  found, 
making  the  tourist  imagine  that  he  is  in  the  heart  of 
the  tropics  instead  of  thirteen  degrees  over  the  line 
into  the  temperate  zone. 

Southern  California,  whether  on  the  coast  or  in  the 
cheerful  valleys  of  the  southern  counties,  must  be  con- 


'86  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

ceded  many  paradisaical  characteristics,  at  least  in 
winter.  Allowing  that  there  are  months  when  every- 
thing appears  parched  and  dry,  that  dusty  roads  and 
sandstorms  do  exist,  that  water  is  dear  and  prices  of 
real  estate  scheduled  in  a  way  to  puzzle  and  perplex, 
still  there  are  the  balm  and  sunshine,  the  fruits  and 
flowers  and  halcyon  days  that  can  not,  by  the  subtilties 
of  logic  be  disrobed  of  their  healthful  charms.  Every- 
where we  find  daily  reminders  of  the  luxuriant  growth, 
the  romantic  scenery  and  the  rapturous  skies  once  so 
faithfully  depicted  by  the  lamented  author  of  "  Bam- 
ona."  Here  are  the  hills  and  mesas  and  mountains, 
the  sands  and  arroyos,  the  canons  and  snow-fed  crystal 
streams;  here  flourish  not  only  the  vine  and  fig  tree, 
but  also  the  lanceolate  olive,  the  flowering  almond,  the 
orange  and  lemon,  blending  their  green  and  gilt  in 
pleasing  tints,  and  even  the  "  golden  pomegranates  of 
Eden "  decked  in  the  rich  caparison  of  scarlet  blos- 
soms and  blushing  fruit.  Here,  too,  in  delightful 
villas  and  cheerful  homes  one  catches  unbidden  the  per- 
fume of  geranium  and  rose,  while  stealing  in  upon  the 
unguarded  senses  like  an  unseen  spirit  comes  the 
ravishing  breath  of  jasmine  and  stephanotis — all  this 
when,  in  the  chilly  East,  locked  in  ice  and  snow, 

"  Coughing  drowns  the  parson's  saw, 
And  Marion's  nose  looks  red  and  raw." 

The  coughing  is  also  to  be  found  here,  but  this  is 
largely  imported.  Long  live  the  winters  of  Southern 
California. 


CHAPTER  VI 

INTO  THE  HEART  OF  THE  SIERRAS. 

There  is  only  one  Yosemifce  Valley,  and  only  one 
trip  to  this  enchanted  reserve  ever  made  exactly 
after  the  fashion  of  the  one  in  which  the  writer  was 
implicated. 

My  associates  in  this  excursion  among  the  Sierras 
were  an  Ohio  real  estate  operator  (who  has  lately  re- 
moved to  California),  the  private  secretary  of  an  emi- 
nent New  York  official,  and  a  Chicago  merchant. 
These,  whom  I  have  already  alluded  to,  have  constituted 
the  dramatis  personce  in  a  number  of  successful  ex- 
ploits here  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Knowing,  from  com- 
mon report,  that  the  wonders  of  the  Yosemite  are  more 
or  less  overpowering  in  their  nature,  and  reasoning 
that  four  would  offer  more  resistance  than  one,  it  was 
only  fair  to  suppose  that  the  shock  to  our  sensibilities 
would  be  proportionately  lessened  by  being  thus 
distributed  over  this  increased  amount  of  surface. 
If  one  couldn't  stand  it,  four  surely  could.  So  we  de- 
cided to  form  another  league,  forgetful  of  past  ag- 
grievances.  Organizing  as  the  "  California  Mutual  Pro- 
tective Alliance  for  Resisting  the  Overpowering  Effects 
of  Wild  Flourishes  of  Natural  Scenery,"  we  set  out 
prepared  for  any  emergency.  Conscious  of  the  newly- 
created  powers  with  which  we  had  become  vested  by 
our  corporate  name,  we  bade  adieu  to  the  "  City  of  the 

87 


88  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

Queen  of  Angels,"  to  which  we  had  but  recently  re- 
turned from  the  coast,  and  the  Southland  to  which  we 
had  become  more  or  less  endeared,  and  with  good  cour- 
age pushed  northward  by  the  Southern  Pacific  Kailway 
through  the  cheerful  San  Fernando  valley.  Crossing 
the  desolate  Mojave  desert  near  the  dry  lakes,  where 
in  the  vegetable  world,  juniper  and  bunch-grass,  dwarf 
cedar,  greecewood  and  the  Yucca  palm  hold  undisputed 
sway,  we  entered  the  Tehachepi  mountains  in  high 
colors.  Swinging  around  the  famous  "  Loop,"  among 
chaparral-crowned  hills  and  gypsum  ridges,  and  wit- 
nessing the  most  wonderful  feats  of  engineering  in 
the  State,  we  soon  reached  the  great  valley  of  the  San 
Joaquin. 

Making  short  stop-offs  at  Bakersfield,  the  capital  of 
Kern  county,  and  Fresno,  the  center  of  the  raisin- 
making  industry,  we  gathered  some  useful  informa- 
tion respecting  the  business  interests  and  mode  of  life 
in  these  places.  In  our  drives  into  the  country  we 
found  something  worthy  of  comment  in  the  vast  fields 
of  alfalfa  and  grain,  the  thousands  of  sheep  grazing 
on  hillsides  and  "  hog- wallows,"  and  the  sleek  herds 
of  horses  and  cattle  roving  on  the  plains. 

The  ubiquitous  jack-rabbit,  too,  is  here  —  more 
abounding,  in  fact,  than  in  the  south  —  to  the  grief  of 
the  ranchman  and  hardly  to  the  joy  of  the  sportsman, 
since  they  are  really  too  plenty  to  make  the  chase  ex- 
citing. The  inhabitants  have  resorted  to  various  devices 
to  exterminate  this  persistent  race  of  mischief-makers, 
a  common  method  being  to  steal  upon  them  in  an  ox- 
cart bearing  heavy  musketry.  While  this  mode  is  not 


90  GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

according  to  the  golden  rule,  it  is  very  effectual  in 
weakening  the  ranks  of  these  deluded  lightfoots,  who, 
shy  of  men,  are  on  familiar  terms  with  roving  herds 
and  moving  vehicles.  Formerly  this  method  was  much 
in  vogue,  the  booty  thus  secured  being  shipped  to  the 
city  markets.  Rabbit  drives  are  now  more  approved. 
By  this  plan  neighborhoods  turn  out  en  masse  and 
pursue  the  pests  from  all  quarters  of  the  horizon  into 
a  large  corral  built  to  receive  them  —  the  pursuers 
hemming  them  in  and  slaughtering  them  by  the  hun- 
dreds, or  perhaps  thousands. 

Leaving  Fresno  and  vicinity  we  resumed  our  north- 
ward movements  toward  the  point  of  departure  for  the 
Yosemite.  This  was  an  interesting  ride  through  the 
San  Joaquin,  presenting,  as  it  did,  phases  differing  in 
important  respects  from  anything  yet  seen.  Every- 
thing seems  to  be  numbered  by  the  thousand  here. 
The  ranches  contain  thousands  of  acres;  sheep  and 
cattle  are  herded  by  the  thousand ;  thousands  of  geese 
and  rabbits  and  cranes  prey  upon  the  crops.  But  what 
engaged  our  interest  most  were  the  thousand  snow-clad 
peaks  of  the  Sierras,  looming  up  before  us  with  lordly 
airs  and  warning  us  of  the  mysteries  on  exhibition  over 
beyond. 

At  a  small  station  some  one  hundred  miles  from  the 
famous  valley  we  disembarked  and  secured  a  livery, 
having  decided  upon  this  means  of  transit  to  secure 
greater  freedom  in  our  movements.  Besides,  the  Ohio 
capitalist's  southern  real  estate  having  taken  a  set-back 
during  the  past  year  or  two,  the  rest  of  the  party  felt 
it  to  be  an  imperative  duty  to  reprove  his  customary 


INTO   THE    HEART    OF   THE   SIERRAS.  91 

extravagance  and  teach  him  a  lesson  in  economy.  To 
this  end  we  diligently  inquired  of  the  German  hostler 
of  whom  we  procured  our  conveyance,  how  much  this 
trip  would  set  us  back  financially.  The  attending 
stable  boy  having  interpreted  our  interrogatories  to 
"  Cousin  Michael  "  the  latter  responded  in  true  Ger- 
man style: 

"Yell,  I  toldt  you  all  aboudt  how  it  vas.  Wie  lang 
bist  du  in  dose  Yosemitees?" 

"  O,  we  want  to  be  gone  about  ten  days." 
"  Veil.     I  vill  tell  you  boudt  dot.     I  make  it  sheap, 
genook.     Ven  you  get  pack  I  tole  you  all  aboudt  dot 
price." 

After  insisting  upon  knowing  the  price  before  we 
started,  "  Mynheer  Closh  "  finally  yields  to  our  demands 
and  says: 

"  I  will  make  dose  expenses  sheap  mit  you — I 
scharge  you  noor  foonf-sick  tollars." 

Having  about  two  hundred  miles  to  drive  among 
the  hills  and  mountains  we  could  not  go  amiss  on  this 
price  and  so  without  chaffering  agreed  to  pay  "  Myn- 
heer "  the  fifty  dollars  for  his  best  rig.  The  latter, 
pleased  that  the  bargain  was  consummated,  at  this 
point  threw  in  a  little  free  advice  with  the  evident  pur- 
pose of  giving  us  the  full  worth  of  our  money. 

"  I  tole  you  sumdings  vot  safe  you  expenses  undt  I 
vill  tole  you  dot  mitoudt  scharging  nottings,"  con- 
tinued clever  "  Closh."  "  Dose  rates  mit  dem  Yose- 
mite  hotels  vas  four  tollar  ein  day,  aber  you  make  him 
sheaper  some  ven  you  dond't  put  too  much  shtyle  on 
already  yet." 


92 


GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 


"How's  that?" 

"  Veil,  I  tole  you  how  it  comes  aboudt.  Dose  hotel 
fellers  puts  the  price  vay  oop  to  fellers  mit  shtyle  on, 
undt  vay  down  to  fellers  mi  tout  der  shtyle." 

I,  for  one,  being  in  for  economy  skirmished  around 
and  secured  a  slouch  hat,  which,  after  considerable 


THE    FLUME. 


heated  discussion  on  the  part  of  my  comrades,  was  de- 
cided to  be  a  trifle  worse  than  the  one  I  discarded.  I 
tried  persistently,  but  in  vain,  to  induce  the  rest  of  the 
company  to  follow  my  example,  arguing  earnestly  and 
logically  that  this  change  in  the  habiliments  of  my 
upper  story  would  save  the  company  at  least  eight 
dollars  a  day  on  board,  and  probably  not  less  than  one 


INTO    THE   HEART    OF   THE   SIERRAS. 


93 


A   SIERRA    CASCADE. 


dollar  and  fifty  cents  a  bushel  on  oats;  and  that  if  they 
would  do  as  I  had  done  this  reduction  would  be  per- 
ceptibly larger.  I  especially  insisted  that  the  Ohio 
real  estate  operator  should,  in  view  of  his  depreciated 


94  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

city  lots,  be  consistent  and  lower  the  standard  of  his 
wearing  apparel.  But  all  logic  was  in  vain.  Each 
one  declared  that  I  had  already  lowered  the  standard 
of  dress  at  least  ninety  per  cent,  for  the  whole  party, 
and  that  if  any  reduction  of  rates  were  to  be  had  on 
this  basis  my  slouch  hat  would  secure  them.  But  time 
was  passing,  and  I  succumbed  to  the  decision  of  the 
majority,  waving  my  plea  for  dress  reform,  conscious 
of  having  made  enough  objections  to  the  course  of  my 
opponents  to  place  them  on  the  defensive  should  any- 
thing betide  us.  After  taking  these  advisable  precau- 
tions I  thus  allowed  the  "  deadlock,"  which  was  clog- 
ging the  wheels  of  progress,  to  be  broken,  having 
become  thoroughly  ingratiated  into  the  affections  of 
my  bucolic  constituency. 

We  then  started  off  under  a  favorable  sky  toward 
the  mountains,  all  divergences  of  opinion  being  either 
reconciled  or  tolerated.  We  were,  at  least,  all  harmo- 
nious on  one  point,  and  that  was:  to  reach  the  valley. 
Rain,  shine  or  earthquake,  we  were  bound  for  the  far- 
famed  Yosemite.  How  we  did  fly!  Over  hills,  down 
into  the  valleys,  up  the  mountains,  away  into  the  heart 
of  the  Sierras. 

Space  will  not  admit  of  a  detailed  account  of  the 
first  two  days'  drive,  In  general,  however,  it  may  be 
said  that  much  that  was  instructive  delighted  both  eye 
and  ear,  and  equally  as  much  that  was  entertaining 
proved  highly  edifying.  Here  were  sheep  and  cattle 
feeding  upon  a  thousand  hills.  Here  were  variously 
colored  rocks  strewed  along  the  vales  and  crowning 
the  hill-tops.  Here  were  abandoned  shafts  and  for- 


96  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

saken  mining  camps.  Here,  too,  was  the  long  flume 
for  rafting  lumber,  winding  like  a  gargantuan  boa 
around  the  mountain  peaks  for  many  miles.  At  Grub 
Gulch  (a  name  dear  to  the  heart  of  the  average  pros- 
pector, since  tradition  has  it  that  he  could  make  his 
"  grub "  here  when  he  failed  everywhere  else)  there 
were  a  number  of  mines  in  successful  operation. 
These  we  duly  visited,  taking  away  with  us  several  de- 
sirable specimens  of  gold  ore.  We  also  encountered 
deer  en  route  and  several  other  denizens  of  the  forest 
to  which  we  found  difficulty  in  affixing  the  appropriate 
names.  While  referring  to  game  it  is  also  worthy  to 
note  the  profusion  of  pigeons  and  quails  inhabiting  the 
foot-hills.  At  least  ten  thousand  of  these,  started  by 
the  sound  of  our  flying  wheels,  encountered  our  path 
within  shooting  range — enough,  properly  served  up, 
to  have  stood  the  priests  of  Israel  over  Sunday  in  the 
wilderness,  or,  if  served  up  according  to  modern 
formula,  to  have  made  soup  for  Xenophon  and  his 
army  of  ten  thousand  during  the  period  of  their  retreat 
—  one  barrel  of  the  emulsion  to  each  soldier.  Bag- 
ging a  few  of  these  tender-loined  bipeds,  I  endeavored 
to  persuade  my  swell  partners  to  s'  rough  it "  and 
cook  our  own  game  in  genuine  camp  style.  But  there 
was  no  use  in  trying  to  force  lessons  of  economy  upon 
my  flush  attendants.  They  were  opposed  to  anything 
which  might  soil  their  knee-buckles  and  so  the  quails 
were  ordered  served  up  on  toast  at  the  tavern. 

But  without  detailing  these  and  similar  episodes  of 
the  journey,  suffice  it  to  say  that  we  were,  during  this 
part  of  the  trip,  elated,  benighted,  snowed  on,  hailed 


INTO    THE    HEART    OF    THE    SIERRAS.  97 

and  thundered  at  by  turns.  On  one  occasion  Jupiter 
Pluvius,  after  smashing  up  our  umbrellas  in  a  violent 
gale,  turned  the  hose  on  the  whole  crowd.  But  still 
we  sped  on  like  pursued  road-runners  until  after  two 
days  of  eventful  sight-seeing,  fusillading  and  crack 
driving  among  the  pine-studded  heights  of  the  Sierras, 
we  arrived  at  Big  Tree  Station,  about  two-thirds  of  the 
distance  to  the  valley.  Here  we  put  up  for  the  night, 
having  stopped  the  first  night  at  Grub  Gulch. 

Big  Tree  Station  is  on  the  Yosemite  Reserve.  So 
now  we  had  to  deal  with  the  government  and  pay  gov- 
ernment prices.  I  knew  the  schedule  rates  to  be  four 
dollars  a  day,  but  in  view  of  "Mynheer's"  friendly 
admonitions  in  regard  to  style  it  was  "only  fair  to  con- 
clude that  I  was  entitled  to  "  cut  rates.1'  So,  after  a 
good  night's  rest  and  an  ample  breakfast,  all  feeling  in 
good  spirits  for  another  day's  drive,  I  ordered  our  rig 
and  stepped  up  to  the  office  to  pay  the  bill.  Pulling 
the  slouch  hat  well  down  on  to  my  head  and  twisting 
my  necktie  askew  over  the  collar  I  struck  an  attitude 
and  enquired,  in  true  western  phraseology,  as  to  the 
amount  of  tax  the  government  proposed  to  levy  on  me 
and  my  "  pards." 

"Supper,  lodging  and  breakfast  for  four  —  and 
horse  feed,  fifteen  dollars  sir,"  was  the  consoling  reply. 

Being  assured  that  this  included  tooth-picks  and  all, 
I  paid  the  bill  like  a  lord,  knowing  this  to  be  the  reg- 
ular rate  to  tourists,  and  that  it  was  futile  to  persist  in 
trying  to  convey  the  impression  of  poverty  with  the 
Ohio  capitalist  and  his  plug  hat  looming  up  in  our 
midst.  It  was  equally  preposterous  to  think  of  posing 
7 


98 


GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 


ENTRANCE    TO     YOSEMITE   VALLEY. 

as  local  patronage  with  our 
names  registered  from  three 
different  states.  We  were 
here  at  about  the  same  alti- 
tude as  the  Yosemite,  but  must  overcome 
one  thousand  six  hundred  feet  to  reach  it. 
We  were  good  for  this,  and  so  boarding 
our  barouche  courageously  dashed  away 
into  the  interminable  depths  of  forest 
before  us.  I  now  used  all  the  power  of  persuasion  I 
could  muster  to  induce  my  co-travelers  to  smash  in  the 
tops  of  their  stiff  hats,  arguing  that  it  would  save  many 
times  the  value  of  their  head-gear  in  the  cost  of  living. 
But  all  rhetoric  was  in  vain.  The  nabobs  recklessly  per- 
sisted in  preserving  the  original  shapes  of  their  skull- 
protectors  thus  compelling  me  to  unjustly  share  the  loss 


INTO   THE    HEART    OF   THE   SIERRAS.  99 

which  must  ensue  as  a  logical  sequence  of  their  pig- 
headedness.  But  never  mind,  Home  wasn't  reformed 
in  a  day. 

Crack!  goes  the  rattan,  and  onward  we  speed 
through  forests  of  pine,  cedar  and  redwood.  Away  we 
fly  over  dizzy  heights,  along  precipitous  banks, 
down  one  hill  and  up  two,  until  we  reach  the  summit. 
Here  we  took  dinner  at  a  trapper's,  there  being  no 
hotel  between  Big  Trees  and  the  Yosemite. 

During  our  repast  we  learned  something  of  the 
peculiar  life  of  this  solitude.  Among  other  interesting 
incidents  of  the  place,  there  was  once  a  herd  of  deer 
roving  about  in  these  mountain  wilds,  that  made  it  a 
part  of  the  daily  programme  to  visit  the  old  cabin  on 
the  summit.  Having  here  received  their  usual  allow- 
ance of  salt  and  regaled  their  appetites  at  the  festive 
slop-pail,  they  returned  to  their  mountain  fastnesses, 
seemingly  satisfied  with  the  bill  of  fare  provided  by 
their  good-natured  host.  These,  too,  were  the  feelings 
which  we  entertained,  as  we  took  our  leave  and  sped 
away  down  the  heights  along  a  precipitous  trail  toward 
th6  valley.  After  advancing  several  miles  we  reached 
an  opening  in  the  almost  interminable  forest,  whence 
our  eyes  were  greeted  by  another  beautiful  panorama 
of  mountain  scenery.  Beyond  the  deep,  picturesque 
gorge,  on  the  verge  of  which  the  mountain  roadway 
extends  for  several  miles,  could  be  seen  hills  and 
mountains  rolling  away,  one  above  another,  far  in  the 
distance,  and  even  the  Coast  Kange,  at  least  a  hundred 
miles  to  the  west,  standing  in  dim  outline  against  the 
sky.  But  behold  !  What  is  this  ?  All  at  once  we 


100 


GRAPHIC    SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 


reach  the  height  overlooking  the  valley.  A  sign-board 
discloses  the  fact  that  we  are  on  the  Peak  of  Inspira- 
tion. It  is,  however,  a  precipice  rather  than  a  peak. 
But  in  the  matter  of  inspiration  there  could  be  no 
question,  as  the  Yosemite  unfolded  its  robes  of 
matchless  beauty  before  us. 


CHAPTER  VII 

EARTH'S   CROWNING   GLORY. 

Here,  facing  us  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley, 
is  a  huge  promontory  of  granite,  having  smooth,  pol- 
ished sides,  handsomely  striped  with  peculiar  tints  of 
light  and  shade,  and  rising  to  the  height  of  fifteen 
Bunker  Hill  monuments  or  seven  of  Egypt's  highest 
pyramids.  This  we  at  once  recognized  as  the  El  Capi- 
tan  of  which  Prof.  Whitney  wrote:  "  It  is  doubtful  if 
anywhere  in  the  world  is  presented  so  squarely  cut,  so 
lofty  and  so  imposing  a  face  of  rock."  As  we  stand 
looking  in  wonder  at  this  massive  pile,  a  beautiful  sil- 
very cloud  settles  down  upon  its  summit  and  presents, 
in  the  light  of  the  sinking  sun,  a  halo  of  indescribable 
beauty  crowning  the  "great  chief  of  the  valley."  De- 
scending along  a  tortuous  trail  in  the  form  of  a  wind- 
ing stair-case,  we  soon  cross  the  path  of  the  "  rock 
avalanche  "  that  recently  tore  up  trees,  breaking  them 
into  fragments  and  creating  the  wildest  imaginable 
scene  of  destruction.  As  we  reach  Pohono  bridge,  at 
the  foot  of  the  trail,  the  beautiful  Bridal  Veil  appears 
in  full  glory,  sifting  its  waters  over  a  precipice  nearly 
one  thousand  feet  above  the  valley.  In  falling,  it 
breaks  into  a  shower  of  mist  that  is  so  deflected  by 
currents  of  air  as  to  present  the  appearance  of  a  white 
silken  veil  tossed  in  the  wind.  On  the  opposite  side 
of  the  valley  the  Ribbon  or  Virgin  Tears  Fall  plunges, 

101 


102  ^ilA^HIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

in  a  slender  stream,  over  the  head  of  El  Capitan  and 
breaks  into  a  mist  that,  to  all  appearances,  loses  itself 
in  the  air  before  it  has  completed  a  third  of  its  jour- 
ney. The  upper  part  of  this  miniature  fall  being 
obscured  by  the  nebulous  halo  resting  on  El  Capitan, 
the  novel  spectacle  is  presented  of  a  delicate  cascade 
falling  directly  from  the  clouds. 

Three  massive  monoliths,  called  the  Three  Brothers, 
now  rise  up  before  us  —  the  highest  six  hundred  feet 
above  El  Capitan.  Now  Cathedral  Eock  and  its  two 
graceful  spires  loom  into  view,  reaching  heights  before 
which  Trinity  and  St.  Patrick's  would  appear  like  pig- 
mies in  the  presence  of  Hercules.  Anon  "  The  Sen- 
tinel "  appears  — -  a  colossal  granite  obelisk  perched 
upon  an  eminence  two  thousand  feet  above  the  valley, 
and  rising  above  this  fifteen  times  the  height  of  Cleo- 
patra's needle.  Wonder  follows  upon  wonder,  and 
all  at  once  the  Yosemite  Falls  breaks  into  full  view, 
facing  the  giant  Sentinel  and  pouring  its  restless, 
roaring  waters  over  a  precipice  half  a  mile  above  our 
heads  or  more  than  sixteen  times  the  height  of  Niagara. 
The  highest  portion  of  its  white,  feathery  column  is 
soon  enveloped  in  a  cumbrous  cloud  of  mist,  and  again 
we  have  the  marvelous  sight  of  a  cataract  falling 
directly  from  the  heavens. 

Beaching  the  old  Yosemite  Valley  House,  shortly 
before  dark  we  enjoyed  from  its  historic  veranda  a  fine 
view  of  the  Yosemite  falls,  pouring  over  a  precipice 
two  thousand  five  hundred  and  forty-eight  feet  above 
the  valley,  the  precipice  being  about  a  thousand  feet 
below  the  tops  of  the  ledges  enclosing  it.  The  valley 


104  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

itself  is  about  four  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  and 
enclosed  by  nearly  perpendicular  walls  as  much  higher. 

The  Duke  of  Sutherland,  who  visited  the  valley  a 
few  years  ago,  said:  "The  Yosemite  spoils  one  for 
any  other  scenery  upon  earth."  According  to  this,  the 
writer  and  his  comrades  spent  several  days  deliberately 
and  perseveringly  spoiling  themselves  for  the  average 
attractions  of  this  earth. 

In  our  perambulations  the  day  following  our  arrival 
we  passed  the  old  Hutchins  cabin  with  which  so  many 
historical  events  pertaining  to  the  opening  of  the  val- 
ley are  associated.  Here  are  still  to  be  seen  the  an- 
cient cooking  stove,  the  dilapidated  chairs  and  broken 
crockery  that  did  such  commendable  service  "  in  the 
days  that  are  gone."  Beyond  this,  a  short  distance,  we 
reached  the  base  of  the  lower  Yosemite  fall,  in  ap- 
proaching which  were  encountered  the  wind  currents 
produced  by  the  falling  waters.  These  swept  upward 
under  umbrellas  and  outer  garments  in  the  form  of  a 
baptismal  spray  that  was  most  effective.  A  brief  en- 
campment before  the  cheerful  fire-place  at  the  hotel, 
however,  removed  any  inconveniences  we  might  suffer 
from  this  source,  and  after  dinner  we  were  prepared  to 
continue  our  explorations. 

These  consisted  chiefly  of  a  twenty- mile  drive  about 
the  valley,  including  the  trip  to  the  cascades,  some 
eight  miles  down  the  river.  In  this  direction  we  were 
confronted  by  numberless  massive  rocks,  weighing 
hundreds  of  tons,  and  scattered  promiscuously  along 
the  banks  of  the  river  for  several  miles.  These  were 
perched  up  in  all  manner  of  perilous  attitudes,  many 


EARTHS   CROWNING  'GLORY. 


105 


of  them  being  piled  one  above  another  in  tumble  down 
positions — here  overhanging  the  roadways  and  there 
set  up  on  end  some  distance  above  us,  freighted  with 
disaster.  We  knew  full  well  that  others  by  thousands 
had  made  the  tour  of  the  valley  unharmed  and  all 
reason  seemed  to  indicate  that  the 
chances  of  getting  through  alive 
were  in  our  favor.  It  was,  never- 
theless, impossible  to  dispel  the 


BRIDAL    VEIL    FALL. 


106 


GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 


conviction  that 
these  mountain- 
sized  rocks,  so 
insecurely  poised 
above  us,  would 
come  tearing 
down  the  declivi- 
ties and  put  an 
end  to  our  recrea- 
tions. Occasion- 
ally one  of  these 
does  actually 
lose  its  anchor- 
age and  the  de- 
vastating result 
is  frightful. 
While  nothing 
could  be  more 
fear-inspiring 
than  this  journey 
down  the  river, 
few  sights  could 
be  better  calcu- 
lated to  excite 
wonder  than  the 
return  trip.  "  In 

the  latter  the  attention  is  somewhat 
withdrawn  from  these  threatening 
boulders  and  directed  to  the  imposing 
wall  of  masonry,  half  a  mile  high,  that 
hems  in  the  valley  on  both  sides,  and 


EARTH'S  CROWNING  GLORY. 


107 


THE    SENTINEL. 


over  the  rim  or  summit  of  whicli  numerous  cascades  fall 
in  picturesque  beauty. 

Here  the  wildest  and  most  fairy-like  scenes  break 
upon  the  vision.     The  day  we  made  the  trip  in  this 


108  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF   THE    WEST. 

direction  nature  seemed  to  have  on  her  high-heeled 
shoes,  and  was  in  all  respects  dressed  as  if  for  some 
special  occasion.  The  massive  granite  walls  of  the 
valley  seemed  larger  and  larger  the  more  minutely  they 
were  scanned,  and  after  we  had  advanced  a  short  dis- 
tance the  very  heavens  fell  in  the  form  of  descending 
clouds,  here  resting  upon  the  rocky  walls  of  the  valley 
and  in  places  falling  far  below  into  the  valley  itself. 
Trees  and  mountain  peaks,  three  thousand  feet  above 
us,  appeared  through  rifts  in  the  clouds,  as  if  standing 
isolated  and  alone  in  the  clear  sky.  Scores  of  delicate 
cascades  were,  for  all  our  senses  could  discover,  falling 
directly  from  heaven  and  everywhere  the  goddess  of 
enchantment  held  undisputed  sway. 

The  next  day  we  ordered  our  rig  at  an  early  hour 
and  proceeded  to  explore  the  valley  in  the  opposite 
direction,  or  up  the  river.  Some  two  miles  above  the 
hotels  we  found  ihe  Merced  divided  into  three  branches, 
which  retreat  in  the  form  of  rocky  canons  into  the  mys- 
terious wilds  of  the  Sierras.  To  trace  these  canons  up 
toward  their  sources  was  our  purpose. 

Beginning  at  the  left  branch,  called  the  Tenaya 
Fork,  we  drove  over  a  meandering  road  two  miles  up 
the  canon.  Of  the  highway  itself  little  can  be  said 
except  that  it  failed  to  keep  the  same  point  of  compass 
or  level  for  any  considerable  distance.  But  for  all  this 
it  faithfully  performed  its  office  in  bringing  us  to  the 
small  but  charming  sheet  of  water  that  lay  so  snugly 
ensconced  among  the  mountains  at  its  terminus.  This 
is  the  much-talked-of  Mirror  Lake,  in  whose  silver 
waters  are  reflected  mountain  peaks  that  rise  abruptly 


YOSEMITE  FALLS. 


110        GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

from  its  margin  nearly  a  mile  high.  We  were  espe- 
cially fortunate  in  the  time  selected  for  viewing  this 
phenomenon.  The  sun,  just  rising  over  South  Dome, 
Mount  Watkins  and  other  tree-studded  peaks,  as  seen 
reflected  in  the  smooth  surface  of  the  lake,  all  com- 
bined to  produce  a  sublime  effect.  Just  over  the  lake 
a  curious  conformation  of  outlines  and  peculiar  blend- 
ing of  colors  unite  to  form  two  novel  pictures  on  the 
adjacent  rocks  —  the  one  resembling  white  garments 
suspended  on.  a  clothes-line,  and  the  other  a  woman's 
head.  The  latter  is  called  the  "  Goddess  of  the  Val- 

ley." 

Returning  to  the  forks  of  the  river  and  omitting 
the  ascent  of  the  Illilouette  or  southwest  fork,  whose 
chief  object  of  interest  —  the  Illilouette  Falls  —  is 
visible  from  a  point  on  the  main  branch,  we  dismount 
and  proceed  on  foot  up  the  Nevada  trail.  This  winds 
along  the  banks  of  the  main  river  and  affords  many 
charming  views  en  route  to  the  more  noted  points  of 
interest  five  miles  up  the  trail.  A  persevering  climb 
of  three  miles  brings  us  to  Register  Rock,  near  which 
a  good  view  is  obtained  of  Vernal  Falls.  Continuing 
the  ascent  over  rocks  and  crags  and  amid  a  galaxy  of 
wondrous  sights  and  sounds,  we  soon  pass  through  the 
mists  of  the  falls,  climb  "The  Ladder,"  and  at  last 
reach  the  precipice  over  which  the  waters  of  the  Mer- 
ced fall  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  Fortune  favors 
the  fearless,  and  here,  projecting  out  from  among  the 
rocks  above,  we  espy  the  hospitable  roof  of  Snow's 
Hotel,  the  supplies  of  which  are  brought  on  horseback 
over  a  precipitous  bridle  path  five  miles  in  length. 


112 


GKAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF   THE    WEST. 


After  renewing  our  drooping  energies  at  this  moun- 
tain refectory,  we  proceeded  to  the  precipice  overlook- 
ing Yernal  Falls.  Here  we  find  ourselves  in  one  of 
Nature's  grandest  temples  —  hemmed  in  on  all  sides 
by  an  amphitheatre  which  has  probably  no  parallel  on 
the  continent,  if  anywhere  in  the  world.  A  monstrous 
flat  rock,  perhaps  an  eighth  of  a  mile  long  and  half  as 
wide,  forms  a  spacious  rostrum  over  which  the  ob- 


NORTH    DOME. 

server  may  wander  at  pleasure.  Another,  similar  to 
this,  only  turned  up  on  end,  rises  hundreds  of  feet  out 
of  the  depths,  protruding  just  far  enough  above  the 
horizontal  one  to  form  a  secure  breastwork  along  the 
edge  of  the  precipice.  One  is  thus  enabled  to  ap- 
proach to  the  very  brink  of  the  falls  without  peril. 
The  praises  of  Yosemite  are  variously  sung  as  seen 
from  Inspiration  and  Glacier  Point,  at  the  foot  of  Bri- 


EARTH'S  CROWNING  GLORY. 


113 


dal  Veil  and  the 
summit  of  Sentinel 
Dome  and  Eagle 
Peak;  but  if  com- 
parisons are  in  order 
amid  a  host  of  won- 
derful sights,  all  of 
which  seem  a  con- 
summation of  crown- 
ing glories,  this  part 
of  the  valley  surely 
deserves  the  palm  as 
presenting  the  beau 
ideal  of  true  loveli- 
ness in  nature  com- 
bined with  awful 
sublimity.  The  am- 
ple collation  provided 
our  company  by  the 
considerate  old  gen- 
tleman who  presides 
over  this  sequestered 
inn,  so  remote  from 
human  habitation, 
certainly  could  not 
account  for  the  fa- 
vorable impression  produced  by  the  environments  of 
the  place. 

At  the  right  the   Merced   Kiver  glides  noiselessly 
along  its  unruffled  bed  and   suddenly  hurls   its  full 
volume  of  water  over  the  precipice  at  your  feet   and 
8 


SOUTH  DOME. 


114  GEAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

far  down  into  the  abyss  before  your  eyes.  But  before 
it  is  fairly  lodged  in  these  mysterious  depths,  it  throws 
out  a  cloud  of  mist  that  is  borne  hundreds  of  feet  into 
the  air  by  ascending  currents,  presenting  a  continual 
succession  of  rainbows  to  the  observer  standing  in  the 
sunlight  below.  No  sooner  are  these  waters  mar- 
shalled into  their  channel  than  they  plunge  violently 
down  their  ragged  bed,  dashing  among  rocks  and  roots, 
and  broken  trunks  of  hemlock  and  fir,  here  breaking 
into  feathery  shafts  and  there  shooting  perpendicularly 
into  the  air,  boiling,  seething  and  glancing  in  the  sun- 
light. On  either  side  of  this  restless  flood  nearly 
perpendicular  walls  of  granite  rise  to  the  height  of 
three  or  four  thousand  feet,  and  present  a  beautiful 
combination  of  colors.  Directly  in  front,  rising  over 
three  thousand  feet  above  the  valley,  is  a  beautiful 
triangular  glacis  crowned  with  evergreens.  In  this 
direction  Grizzly  Peak  and  Glacier  Point  loom  up  in 
grand  proportions.  The  waters  dash  and  roar  on  every 
side,  and  a  train  of  other  sights  and  sounds  falls  upon 
eye  and  ear,  bewildering  sense  and  leading  the  mind 
away  from  self  to  a  consciousness  of  higher  powers 
that  seem,  to  preside  over  the  place. 

Turning  to  the  rear  and  looking  up  the  river,  a 
view  no  less  enchanting  greets  the  eye.  Here  the 
Nevada  Falls,  also  containing  the  entire  volume  of  the 
main  river,  show  their  white  flashing  waters  as  they 
shoot  downward  seven  hundred  feet  to  the  river  bed 
below.  Here,  gathering  themselves  within  their 
wonted  channel,  they  dash  furiously  down  among  the 
rocks,  forming  the  beautiful  Diamond  Cascades, 


VIEWS    IN    THE    VALLEY. 


116       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

Thence  spreading  out  over  the  surface  of  a  spacious, 
flat  rock,  they  flow  on  as  composedly  as  if  nothing  had 
happened,  serenely  collecting  themselves  at  your  side, 
into  a  miniature  crystal  lake.  Here,  resting  a 
moment,  as  it  were,  they  make  the  second  mad  plunge 
over  the  Yernal  precipice  just  described. 

From  this  outlook  the  more  distant  view  is  no 
less  inspiring.  South  Dome  shows  his  snowy  sum- 
mit a  mile  above  the  valley.  Mount  Broderick  lifts 
heavenward  his  imperious  head,  and  Starr  King 
triumphantly  displays  his  pine-crowned  temples  nine 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  Near  by  is  the  Cap 
of  Liberty,  standing  forth  like  a  guardian  of  the  cen- 
turies, raising  his  mighty  granite  shaft  above  us  more 
than  ten  times  the  height  of  the  dome  of  the  capitol  at 
Washington. 

But  here  I  might  as  well  surrender  at  discretion. 
To  attempt  to  convey  an  adequate  conception  of  these 
wonderful  manifestations,  or  as  some  call  them  "  mar- 
velous freaks,"  would  be  presumption.  To  describe 
them  in  detail  would  be  to  describe  the  kaleidoscopic 
scenes  of  an  ever-shifting  panorama.  The  constant 
wonder  is  that  the  same  object  of  interest  impresses 
the  observer  so  differently  at  different  times.  This  was 
especially  noticeable  on  our  return  from  the  upper  por- 
tion of  the  valley.  The  three  domes,  Grizzly  and 
Glacier  peaks,  Illilouette  Falls  and  the  splashing, 
glistening  waters  of  the  Merced  all  assumed  a  new 
garb  of  glory  in  the  light  of  the  setting  sun.  Wash- 
ington Column  and  North  Dome  posed  in  spectral 
colors,  new  and  strange,  and  the  Eoyal  Arches  assumed 


FALLS    OF    THE    YQSEMITE 


118       GBAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

fantastic  phases  which  favored  the  superstition  that  we 
were  about  to  enter  the  mystic  confines  of  a  Druid 
temple.  The  summit  of  the  half  dome  was  isolated 
from  its  granite  pedestal  by  an  ascending  cloud,  and 
thus  made  to  appear  like  the  inverted  hulk  a  foundered 
ship  drifting  at  sea. 

The  observer  at  Yosemite  is  the  happy  victim  of 
constant  surprise.  He  stands  before  El  Capitan  in 
mute  astonishment,  contemplating  the  stupendous  pro- 
portions of  a  single  granite  rock  two  miles  long  and 
two-thirds  of  a  mile  high.  He  sees  the  great  mono- 
lithic giants  of  the  earth  here  resurrected  from  the 
sepulchre  of  the  ages,  standing  mute  sentinels  before 
the  empyrean  heights,  guarding,  as  it  were,  the  gates 
of  Paradise.  He  hears  the  deep  intonations  of  surg- 
ing floods  at  his  feet  and  the  weird  music  of  clashing 
waters  half  a  mile  above  his  head.  He  catches  the 
mystic  notes,  sung  by  miniature  cascades  high  in  the 
clouds  and  listens  in  rapt  wonder,  as  they  blend 
their  choral  voices  with  the  winds  of  heaven,  chanting 
wild  anthems  to  the  granite  hosts,  that  stand  from  age 
to  age,  unwearied  listeners  to  their  ceaseless  rhapsodies. 
But  where  shall  we  stop  in  describing  Yosemite? 
Niagara  herself  throws  up  the  white  flag  in  attempting 
to  rival  it  and  so  must  every  writer  who  attempts  to 
describe  it. 


CHAPTEE   VIII. 

THE  MAMMOTH  TREES. 

In  the  last  chapter  I  alluded  to  the  "  Mammoth 
Trees  of  California,"  within  a  few  miles  of  which  we 
passed  on  our  way  to  the  Yosemite.  In  making  the 
trip  to  the  Yosemite  by  stage,  it  is  generally  thought 
advisable  to  go  by  one  route  and  return  by  another, 
but  the  necessity  of  getting  our  rig  and  accessories 
back  to  the  point  of  departure  on  the  Southern  Pacific, 
and  gathering  up  the  few  worldly  effects  which  we  had 
left  at  that  place,  compelled  us  to  go  and  return  by  the 
same  route.  By  so  doing,  however,  we  were  enabled 
to  study  the  wonderful  flora  of  the  Sierras  more  in 
detail,  and  especially  to  visit  the  Mariposa  grov3  of 
"Big  Trees."  Notwithstanding  the  familiar  aspect  of 
the  way,  there  was  still  more  or  less  of  the  constant 
wonder,  "  What  next?  "  and  we  were  all  the  while  on 
the  lookout  for  some  new  extravaganza  in  nature.  In 
this  we  were  eminently  favored  in  our  explorations 
among  the  "  Big  Trees."  Arriving  at  "  Big  Tree  " 
station  the  same  day  that  we  left  the  valley,  we  there 
put  up  for  the  night.  In  good  season  the  following 
morning  we  pushed  off  for  the  Sequoia  forest.  As 
these  prodigies  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  are  to  be 
found  only  at  altitudes  ranging  from  five  to  seven 
thousand  feet,  we  were  obliged  to  make  a  considerable 
ascent  to  reach  them.  In  so  doing  we  encountered 

120 


THE    MAMMOTH    TKEES. 


121 


snow  from  two  to  three  feet  deep,  but  the  road  some- 
what broken  by  the  stage  enabled  us  without  great 
difficulty  to  make  the  journey.  Although  the  main 
body  of  the  grove  is  eight  miles  from  the  hotel,  we 


MEASURING     THE     GRIZZLY     GIANT. 


had    scarcely  advanced    half    that  distance    when    we 

found  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  trees  of  unusual  size 

—  perhaps  twelve   to  fifteen  feet   in  diameter.      This 

phenomena  was  viewed  as  an  appropriate  introduction 


122       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

to  the  greater  marvels  beyond,  which  we  were  fondly- 
anticipating,  and  concerning  which  so  many  Quixotic 
stories  have  been  told. 

The  trees  passed  in  the  outskirts  of  the  grove 
resembled  large,  shapely  cedars,  though  taller  and 
more  imposing.  They  did  not  appeal  to  the  senses  as 
being  exactly  marvelous  ;  still  they  surpassed  any 
variety  of  the  pine  family  we  had  yet  seen,  and  fur- 
nished a  very  suggestive  hint  of  what  was  coming.  As 
we  advanced,  the  trunks  continued  to  assume  more 
and  more  conspicuous  proportions,  until  we  reached 
the  "Grizzly  Giant,"  the  largest  tree  in  the  grove. 
This  is  advertised  as  being  thirty-three  feet  in  diame- 
ter; but,  according  to  my  own  measurements,  these 
figures  must  be  considered  as  applying  to  its  longest 
diameter,  which  includes  a  gnarled  .protuberance  of 
about  two  feet  in  thickness.  Its  height  is  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  feet,  its  circumference  ninety-four,  and 
at  a  distance  of  one  hundred  feet  from  the  ground  is  a 
limb  six  feet  through.  According  to  conservative  esti- 
mate, the  "  Grizzly  Giant "  must  have  been  a  thrifty 
young  tree  when  the  Children  of  Israel  were  wandering 
in  the  Desert  of  Sinai.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Chris- 
tian Era  it  must  have  towered  aloft  nearly  to  its  pres- 
ent height.  These  trees,  being  so  far  above  their 
neighbors,  are  exposed  to  the  surging  elements  of  the 
upper  regions,  and  are  thus  constantly  trimmed  and 
broken  down  at  their  summits  by  wind  and  accumu- 
lating snow,  so  that  many  of  the  finest  specimens  are 
truncated  and  present  a  dwarfish  appearance.  The 
"  Grizzly  Giant "  has  suffered  in  this  respect  even 


THE    MAMMOTH    TBEES. 


123 


THE     WAWONA. 

more  than  its  weaker  brethren,  besides  having  been 
assailed  by  forest  fires.  But  in  spite  of  all  its  misfor- 
tunes'and  adversities,  it  still  remains  a  titanic  wonder 
of  the  vegetable  world — the  Antaeus  of  the  palestra  — 
for  forty  centuries  a  wrestler  with  lightning  and  tem- 
pest, and  to-day  proud,  defiant,  and  boldly  awaiting  its 


124       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

rival,  Hercules.  I,  for  one,  was  glad  to  scrape  acquaint- 
ance with  the  veteran  wrestler  with  the  winds,  and 
treated  him  with  perfect  confidence ;  but  my  friend,  the 
Secretary,  eyed  the  old  giant  with  suspicion  and  ex- 
pressed doubts  about  his  age.  He  said  the  old  fellow 
didn't  look  as  old  as  he  was  cracked  up  to  be,  and,  in 
order  to  satisfy  his  skepticism  on  this  point,  gathered 
a  number  of  his  cones,  with  the  express  purpose  of 
planting  them  on  his  return  to  the  East.  As  soon  as 
the  Secretary's  investigations  are  completed,  the  true 
age  of  a  tree  thirty  feet  in  diameter  will  be  duly 
reported. 

After  a  careful  and  respectful  survey  of  the  old 
giant's  anatomy  we  proceeded  to  pay  our  respects  to 
the  lesser  dignitaries  of  the  Big  Tree  Forest.  These, 
though  less  prodigious,  were  able  to  make  themselves 
interesting  —  in  some  cases  manifesting  a  remarkable 
spirit  of  hospitality,  even  inviting  us  inside.  Most  of 
them  bear  familiar  names.  There  is  "  Longfellow," 
"Whittier,"  "Harvard,"  "The  Faithful  Couple," 
"  Virginia,"  and  "  Maryland  "  (close  by  each  other's 
side) ;  "  The  Diamond  Group  "  of  four,  "  The  Sen- 
tinels," "  The  Eight  Commissioners,"  "  Lincoln," 
"  Grant,"  "  Illinois,"  "  Columbia,"  and  other  noted 
ones  whose  names  I  do  not  chance  to  recall.  The  once 
imperious  "  Andy  Johnson  "  fell  about  a  dozen  years 
ago.  But  the  tree  above  all  others  which  seems  to  at- 
tract attention  is  the  "  Wawona,"  through  which  the 
stage  drives  in  making  the  circuit  of  the  grove.  Under 
this  we  halted  long  enough  to  observe  that  the  roof 
above  us  was  amply  sufficient  to  cover  our  horses  and 


HOLLOW    TRUNK. 


126  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE   WEST. 

vehicle,  with  awning  to  spare,  the  distance  through 
being  twenty-eight  feet.  Near  this  was  the  "  Pioneer's 
Cabin,"  a  hollow,  upright  tree,  capable  of  housing  a 
dozen  or  more  persons  peaceably  inclined.  Not  far 
from  this  was  a  prostrate  hollow  trunk,  which  the 
writer  entered,  walking  upright,  some  distance  before 
being  able  to  reach  the  roof  above. 

In  the  grove  there  are  fully  six  hundred  trees  from 
thirty  to  ninety  feet  in  circumference  and  from  two 
hundred  and  twenty-five  to  three  hundred  feet  in 
height.  It  is  the  only  grove  set  aside  as  a  national 
park  —  all  the  others,  seven  in  number,  being  private 
property.  Some  of  the  latter,  however,  are  quite  as  re- 
markable, though  but  one  of  them  —  tile  Calaveras  — 
is  visited  to  any  considerable  extent  by  tourists.  This 
is  owing  to  their  being  less  accessible  and  not  kept  in 
shape  to  receive  company.  The  largest  tree  yet  dis- 
covered is  in  Tulare  Grove,  on  the  King's  Eiver.  It  is 
a  fallen  trunk,  forty-four  feet  in  diameter  and  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  feet  in  circumference.  In  the  Fresno 
Grove,  south  of  the  Mariposa,  is  also  a  fine  collection 
of  these  mammoth  trees,  one  of  which,  still  standing, 
is  ninety-six  and  one-half  feet  in  circumference.  The 
tallest  living  tree  of  this  species  now  known  is  said  to 
be  located  in  the  Stanislaus  Grove,  near  the  sources  of 
the  Stanislaus  Eiver.  It  is  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
high  and  ninety-seven  feet  around. 

The  Calaveras  Grove,  reached  by  stage  by  the  way 
of  Stockton  and  Milton,  or  from  the  Narrow  Gauge 
terminus  at  Yalley  .Springs,  through  Murphy's,  also 
contains  a  number  of  trees  possessing  special  interest 


THE   MAMMOTH    TREES. 


127 


to  tourists.     They  are  noted 
for  their    sky-stabbing   pro- 
pensities —  surpassing  those 
of   the    Mariposa    Grove,    it 
is  said,  both  in  height  and 
symmetry.    It  contains,  how- 
ever, only  about  one  hundred 
trees,    the    tallest    of  which 
is  three  hundred  and  tAventy- 
five  feet  high,    though    but 
forty-five     feet     in    circum- 
ference.      Here    it    may    be 
well     to     observe     that    the 
relative    size   of   these  trees 
can    not   be    inferred  either 
from    their    height    or    cir- 
cumference.   In  one  instance 
a  tree  broken  three  hundred 
feet    from   the  ground,   was 
eighteen    feet    in    diameter, 
even   at    that    ex- 
traordinary    alti- 
tude.     There  are 
four  trees  in  all  in 
the         Calaveras 
group  now  living 
over    three     hun- 
dred    feet     high, 
yet    only    one    of 
these  compares  in 
magnitude      with 
the    "Grizzly 


KEYSTONE  STATE,    CALAVERAS   GROVE. 
325  feet  high. 


128  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

Giant,"  but  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet  high.      Some 
run  to  girth,- others  to  grace. 

Many  of  the  Calaveras  trees  have  fallen,  some  of 
them  quite  recently.  Among  these  are  the  "  Burnt 
Tree,"  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet  long  and  ninety- 
seven  feet  around,  and  "  The  Father  of  the  Forest," 
four  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet  in  length  and  one 
hundred  and  one  feet  in  circumference.  The  largest 
trees  are  the  fallen.  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin"  outrivals 
the  "Pioneer's  Cabin"  of  the  Mariposa  in  being 
capable  of  comfortably  sheltering  twenty-five  persons 
who  are  not  over  exacting  as  to  elbow  room,  But  the 
most  talked  of  among  the  Calaveras  trees  is  the  one 
felled  a  few  years  ago  by  artificial  means.  How  it  was 
overthrown  has  been  a  puzzle  to  many  a  tourist,  and  it 
was  not  until  after  many  fruitless  inquiries  that  the 
writer  succeeded  in  getting  the  mystery  solved.  It 
appears  that  holes  wera  bored  into  the  tree  by  long 
pump  augurs  and  the  intervening  partitions  cut  away 
by  sawing.  So  great  was  the  task  that  five  men 
worked  faithfully  at  the  job  for  more  than  three  weeks, 
besides  spending  over  two  days  in  driving  in  wedges 
to  topple  it  over  after  the  work  of  cutting  through  had 
been  finished.  This  tree,  three  hundred  and  two  feet 
high  and  ninety-six  feet  in  circumference  at  the 
ground,  was  over  three  thousand  years  old  (as  indi- 
cated by  the  annular  rings,)  and  contained  half  a 
million  cubic  feet  of  lumber,  enough  to  build  several 
incorporated  towns.  Builders  will  appreciate  these 
figures.  The  remaining  stump  was  converted  into  a 
dancing  platform  and  the  votaries  of  Terpsichore 


IN     THE     HIGH     SIERRAS. 


130  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF   THE    WEST. 

"  have  measured  many  a  mile  to  tread  a  measure  " 
thereon.  Within  the  railing  by  which  it  is  enclosed 
four  cotillion  sets  have  danced  at  a  time. 

These  titans  of  the  vegetable  world  belong  to  the 
genus  sequoia,  so  called  after  a  half-breed  Cherokee 
chief  who  invented  an  Indian  alphabet.  The  species 
is  gigantcea,  called  also  Wellingtonia  by  the  English 
botanists  and  Washingtonia  by  the  American.  They 
are  closely  allied  to  the  redwood,  which  attains  a 
diameter  of  sixteen  feet  and  bears  the  botanical  name 
sequoia  semper  virens.  The  big  trees  are  often  called 
the  "giant  redwood,"  to  distinguished  them  from  the 
common  redwood.  Both  belong  to  the  same  family 
and  genus,  differing  only  in  species.  The  former, 
however,  are  found  only  in  the  Sierras  and  between  the 
thirty-sixth  and  thirty-eighth  parallels,  while  the  red- 
wood proper,  the  staple  building  material  of  the  Pacific 
Coast,  is  confined  to  the  coast  range. 

One  by  one  these  monarchs  of  the  forest  are  yield- 
ing to  the  elements  of  fire  and  wind,  but  there  are 
others  of  all  ages,  from  saplings  up,  aspiring  to  fill 
their  places.  So  future  generations  need  not  borrow 
trouble  for  fear  they  will  be  cut  off  from  seeing  this 
one  of  the  modern  "  seven  wonders."  In  view  of  the 
fact  that  these  trees  are  confined  to  such  narrow  limits 
of  altitude  and  latitude,  it  has  often  been  asked  if  the 
species  could  be  reproduced  in  other  localities.  I  learn 
from  the  botanists  that  it  has  already  been  introduced 
into  Great  Britain,  being  there  kept  on  sale  in  the 
nurseries;  but  in  the  Eastern  and  Middle  States  it 
meets  with  varying  success,  being  on  the  whole  some- 
what hazardous.  Still  it  will  stand. 


ON  THE  COAST 


132  GEAPHIC    SKETCHES   OF    THE   WEST. 

Higher  up  the  mountain,  beyond  the  "  Big  Tree  " 
belt,  fir  and  tamarack  pine  grow  prolific,  while  below 
it  we  found  an  abundance  of  pitch  and  Lambert  pine, 
white  cedar  and  the  lofty  Douglass  spruce.  The  Lam- 
bert— commonly  called  the  sugar-pine — belongs  to  the 
sub-genus  of  white  pine  and  is  especially  conspicuous 
along  the  slopes  of  the  Sierras.  It  is  a  remarkable 
tree  and  in  some  places  grows  to  a  height  of  from 
three  hundred  to  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet — thus 
rivaling  in  loftiness  the  Big  Trees,  though  but  twelve 
to  fifteen  feet  in  diameter.  Its  cones  are  the  largest 
I  have  ever  seen,  being  from  a  foot  to  twenty  inches  in 
length  and  even  larger  around  than  they  are  long. 

The  supply  of  available  timber  in  this  region,  prac- 
tically inexhaustible,  is  made  accessible  by  means  of 
long  wooden  flumes.  The  one  reaching  this  part  of 
the  Sierras  has  its  terminus  at  Madera  on  the  South- 
ern Pacific  Kailroad  and  is  fifty-four  and  one-half  miles 
in  length.  In  1886  it  carried  18,000,000  cubic  feet  of 
lumber  to  the  valley.  These  flumes  are  sometimes 
used  to  convey  venturesome  passengers  down  the 
mountains  and  the  ride  is  described  as  being  the  most 
exciting  imaginable.  Mr.  H.  J.  Eamsdell,  of  the  New 
York  Tribune,  once  rode  down  the  Nevada  flume  in 
company  with  the  two  millionaires — James  G.  Fair  and 
the  late  J.  C.  Flood.  They  made  the  entire  distance 
(fifteen  miles)  in  thirty-five  minutes,  in  some  parts  of 
the  journey  going  at  the  rate  of  nearly  a  mile  a  min- 
ute. They  all  barely  escaped  with  their  lives,  their 
boats  being  upset  in  the  passage. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

OBJECTS  OF  INTEREST  IN  THE  GOLDEN  STATE 

Returning  to  the  "  Southern  Pacific,"  and  thence  to 
San  Francisco  by  rail,  we  enjoyed  a  few  days  of  grate- 
ful rest  in  the  "  Golden  Gate  "  city.  San  Francisco  is 
noted  for  its  superb  hotels,  quite  as  much  as  for  any 
other  single  feature  of  its  material  make-up.  These 
excel  in  size  and  number,  as  well  as  beauty  of  archi- 
tecture. More  people  live  in  hotels  here  in  proportion 
to  the  number  of  inhabitants,  than  any  other  city  in 
America.  San  Francisco  is  variously  called  the  "  City 
of  St.  Francis,"  "  Golden  Gate  City,"  "  Bay  City,"  and 
"Bay-Window  City."  To  these  let  us  add,  "Hotel 
City."  The  propriety  of  this  last  appellation  will  not 
be  questioned  when  it  is  considered  that  it  has  nearly 
one  hundred  hotels,  over  two  hundred  boarding- 
houses,  two  hundred  and  fifty  restaurants  and  five 
hundred  lodging-houses. 

The  three  principal  hotels  are  the  Palace,  Grand, 
and  Baldwin,  all  of  which  are  studded  with  bay  win- 
dows on  all  sides,  with  a  view  to  meet  the  popular 
demand  for  sunshine.  The  first  two  are  connected  by 
a  corridor  over  New  Montgomery  street  —  both  being 
under  the  same  management.  Some  idea  of  the 
princely  character  of  these  hotels  may  be  conceived 
from  the  fact  that  the  late  Mr.  W.  C.  Ralston  spent 
about  seven  million  dollars  in  erecting  and  fitting  up 

134 


ON  WHEELS  IN    GOLDEN    GATE    PARK. 


136       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

the  Palace  alone.  It  is  a  seven-story  marble  struc- 
ture, occupying  a  whole  square,  the  total  length  of  its 
halls  being  over  three  miles.  There  are  three  hundred 
and  sixty  suites  of  rooms,  about  a  thousand  large  single 
rooms  with  baths  adjoining,  and  ten  spacious  dining 
halls,  one  of  which  is  one  hundred  and  sixty  by  fifty- 
five  feet.  The  hotel  has  a  novel  water  supply  in  four 
artesian  wells,  situated  in  the  basement,  and  capable 
of  supplying  twenty-five  thousand  gallons  per  hour. 

Other  objects  of  interest  are  Golden  Gate  Park, 
Nobb  Hill  —  the  residence  of  San  Francisco's  aris- 
tocracy—  the  Cliff  House  and  Seal  Eocks.  At  the 
latter  place  the  tourist  is  sure  to  be  entertained  (for  a 
while  at  least)  by  the  incessant  barking  and  the  count- 
less antics  of  an  immense  school  of  seals.  These 
inhabit  the  rocks  called  by  their  name,  and  situated  a 
few  rods  off  the  coast,  near  the  entrance  of  the  Golden 
Gate.  Golden  Gate  Park,  next  to  Fairmount  Park, 
Philadelphia,  is  the  largest  in  America.  Europe  has 
its  equal  only  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  at  Paris.  It  is 
three  miles  long,  half  a  mile  wide,  with  an  addition 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  long,  extending  into  the  better 
part  of  the  city.  In  addition  to  these  lavish  dimen- 
sions and  the  elegant  drives  thus  afforded,  its  attrac- 
tiveness is  greatly  enhanced  by  its  half-mile  of  ocean 
beach,  its  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  trees,  its 
imposing  conservatory,  fine  statuary  and  wild  profu- 
sion of  tropical  plants  and  flowers. 

Chinatown  is  the  most  novel  feature  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Visited  by  night  with  a  policeman  or  other 
guide,  the  tourist  is  enabled  to  see  "  China  in  a  nut- 


ALLEY,   CHINESE   QUARTERS. 


138  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OP   THE   WEST. 

shell.'1  Long  rows  of  curiosity  shops,  the  joss  houses 
with  their  idols  and  works  of  Chinese  art,  the  theatres 
with  their  clatter  and  gibberish,  the  opium  hells  and 
underground  stables  where  human  beings  are  huddled 
together  like  cattle  in  a  stock-car,  all  force  themselves 
upon  the  tourist's  sensibilities  in  this  quarter  of  the 
city.  San  Francisco  is  called  the  Paris  of  the  Pacific 
coast.  It  is  not  only  this,  but  also  the  Pekin  of  America. 

The  harbor  of  San  Francisco  is  a  veritable  wonder. 
The  other  night,  while  crossing  the  Golden  Gate  chan- 
nel, its  glory  seemed  more  than  ever  apparent.  Leav- 
ing the  railroad  at  Sancelito,  we  crossed  over  by 
steamship  just  as  the  sun  was  setting  over  the  ocean. 
The  crimson  rays  of  this  sinking  luminary  flashing 
upon  the  distant  heights,  Alcatraz  bristling  with  can- 
non, and  the  waves  glancing  in  the  purple,  sun-painted 
waters,  combined  with  spire  and  dome  and  turret  loom- 
ing up  from  the  city,  to  form  a  study  for  the  artist  and 
a  theme  for  the  poet.  The  greatest  glory  of  this  har- 
bor, however,  is  the  great  purpose  it  so  admirably 
serves.  Land-locked,  capacious,  deep  and  easily  acces- 
sible, a  more  felicitous  arrangement  for  the  traffic  of 
the  seas  could  not  be  well  conceived. 

Almost  every  part  of  the  Pacific  coast  region  pos- 
sesses some  peculiar  interest  to  one  or  another  class  of 
tourists.  California  is  replete  with  mountain,  lake  and 
river  scenery;  it  abounds  in  picturesque  canons  and 
charming  valleys;  it  has  a  wealth  of  mines  and  min- 
eral springs;  there  are  vineyards  containing  upward 
of  a  thousand  acres,  vast  orange  groves  bending  under 
their  burdens  of  gold,  and,  in  fact,  about 


OBJECTS   OF    INTEKEST. 

All  of  beauty  and  of  use, 

That  one  fair  country  can  produce." 


139 


Santa  Kosa,  with  its  famous  Alameda  Avenue  of 
willows  and  enchanting  environments,  flourishing 
Fresno,  far  famed  Monterey,  the  medicinal  springs  of 
Paso  Eobles  and  Paraiso,  the  noted  saints  of  the  coast, 
(San  Eafael,  Santa  Cruz,  Santa  Barbara,  Santa  Mon- 


SAN    FRANCISCO    BAY. 


ica  and  San  Diego),  the  orange  belt  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia, Yosemite  and  the  big  trees,  are  all  interest- 
ing and  all  conveniently  reached  by  special  excursions 
leading  out  from  San  Francisco  and  Los  Angeles. 

An  interesting  and  profitable  trip  from  the  former 
of  these  two  pivotal  centers  of  travel  is  that  by  the 
"Southern  Pacific"  to  Marysville,Chico,  Ked  Bluff,  Ked- 


140  GBAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF   THE   WEST. 

ding  and  Mount  Shasta.  This  part  of  the  State  seems 
to  be  coming  into  greater  prominence  of  late,  and 
really  there  is  much  in  the  way  of  soil,  scenery  and 
climate  to  give  it  a  claim  both  upon  the  tourist 
and  home-seeker.  Grain  and  stock-raising  are  largely 
engaged  in,  but  fruit  culture  is  coming  rapidly  to  the 
front.  In  Tehama  County,  of  which  Bed  Bluff  is 
the  county-seat,  are  some  of  the  princely  posssessions 
lately  owned  by  the  California  millionaire,  Senator 
Leland  Stanford,  but  now  in  the  hands  of  his  children. 
At  Yina,  a  few  miles  south  of  Bed  Bluff,  is  the  famous 
ranch  belonging  to  this  estate,  containing  fifty-six 
thousand  acres,  with  its  mammoth  vineyard,  said  to  be 
the  largest  known. 

Mount  Shasta,  the  highest  mountain  of  California 
(fourteen  thousand  four  hundred  and  forty  feet  above 
the  sea),  has  in  its  vicinity  not  only  some  of  the 
grandest  scenery  of  the  State,  but  also  the  most  en- 
couraging field  for  the  sportsman.  Here,  in  addition 
to  the  more  common  game,  is  the  grizzly  and  black 
bear,  besides  deer  and  other  large  game,  nearly  extinct 
at  the  south. 

But  of  all  the  "  side  trips "  from  San  Francisco, 
none,  save  the  trip  to  Yosemite,  have  so  enlisted  the 
writer's  enthusiasm  as  that,  one  hundred  miles  north 
into  Lake  County,  among  the  hills  of  the  Coast  Eange. 
Starting  on  this  trip,  we  leave  San  Francisco  in  the 
morning.  After  crossing  the  bay,  we  reach  Yallejo 
Junction  (pronounced  Yal-yay-ho)  by  means  of  the 
California  Pacific  Eailroad.  Crossing  an  arm  of 
the  bay,  called  San  Pablo,  by  steamer,  we  proceeded 


VULCAN'S   STEAM    WORKS. 


142       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

thence  by  rail  through  the  delightful,  vineyard-studded 
valley  of  Napa,  reaching  the  terminus  of  the  iron 
track  at  Calistoga  in  time  for  dinner.  The  remaining 
and  most  eventful  portion  of  the  journey  is  by  stage. 

At  Calistoga,  Senator  Stanford  once  began  a  series 
of  enterprises  for  building  up  a  fashionable  resort,  but 
abandoned  the  project  in  its  infancy,  leaving  here  and 
there  only  a  few  scattered  reminders  of  his  brilliant 
conception.  On  the  site  of  the  millionaire's  opera- 
tions are  still  to  be  seen  the  mineral  springs  that  were 
to  work  such  miraculous  healing.  Into  one  or  these  I 
carelessly  thrust  my  hand  to  determine  the  tempera- 
ture but  was  summarily  reminded  of  the  indiscretion. 
These  springs  are  said  to  be  turned  to  practical  use  by 
the  bland  Chinaman,  who  finds  them  admirably 
adapted  for  scalding  his  hogs  and  chickens.  The  ser- 
vice which  they  have  performed  in  this  direction  has 
given  them  the  characteristic  flavor  of  pork  and  chicken 
soup  —  so  our  guide  informed  us. 

A  few  miles  from  here  the  demon  of  fire  has  evi- 
dently a  still  more  approved  heating  apparatus,  since, 
at  a  place  known  as  the  "Geysers,"  the  earth  boils 
and  bubbles  all  around  you,  horrid  sounds  and  sugges- 
tive odors  fill  the  air,  while  seething  caldrons  and  the 
shrill  whistle  of  escaping  steam  add  to  the  accumulat- 
ing testimony  that  you  are  paying  a  visit  to  the 
"Devil's  Workshop."  Here,  too,  is  the  "Devil's  Ink- 
stand," the  "  Devil's  Pulpit,"  and  other  property  sup- 
posed to  belong  to  the  proprietor  of  the  bottomless  pit. 

A  few  miles'  drive  from  Calistoga  also  brings  us  to 
the  "  Petrified  Forest."  Huge  trunks  of  fallen  trees 


THE  PETRIFIED  FOREST. 


144  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE   WEST. 

are  here  exposed  to  view  in  a  perfect  state  of  petrifac- 
tion. Most  of  them  have  so  preserved  their  original 
form  and  appearance  that  the  deception  is  detected  only 
by  close  inspection.  Our  guide,  with  much  display  of 
emotion,  pointed  out  a  small  block  lying  on  the  bank 
which  a  callow  youth  from  Boston  recently  tried  to 
kick  out  of  his  path.  The  tale  which  all  coming  gen- 
erations of  tourists  to  this  place  will  hear  concerning 
the  yawning  boot  and  shattered  phalanges  of  this  Bos- 
ton youth  will  doubtless  prove  a  sufficient  warning 
against  the  danger  of  trifling  with  the  fateful  delu- 
sions. At  the  entrance  of  the  Petrified  Forest  is  a 
spring  of  arsenic  water.  This  the  tourist  is  expected 
to  sample,  if  for  no  other  reason,  to  gratify  the  offi- 
cious guide,  who  manifests  a  commendable  anxiety  to 
return  a  full  equivalent  for  the  price  of  admission 
to  the  grove.  The  effect  of  this  water  is  seen  in  the 
alabaster  complexion  of  some  of  the  neighboring  peo- 
ple who  are  addicted  to  its  use.  A  lady  here  died  from 
its  effects  some  time  ago.  Still  they  will  use  it. 
"  Beautiful  or  bust "  seems  to  be  the  motto.  After  se- 
curing some  desirable  specimens  we  returned  to  Calis- 
toga,  catching  here  and  there  glimpses  of  pleasing 
scenes  en  route. 

After  two  days  of  rest  and  entertainment  in  the 
vicinity  of  Calistoga,  we  proceeded  by  Wellington's 
line  of  six-horse  coaches  over  one  of  the  most  romantic 
drives  of  the  State  to  the  lake  region.  This  fifty-mile 
trip  over  the  Coast  Hills  is  considered  one  of  the  very 
best  examples  of  mountain  staging  in  the  country. 
One  who  is  accustomed  to  nothing  more  than  an  or- 


OBJECTS    OF    INTEREST. 


145 


THE   DEVIL'S   CANON. 


dinary  drive  in  his  easy  chaise  can  scarcely  conceive 
the  real  nature  of  this  exciting  ride  over  hills  and 
mountains.  The  fore  part  of  the  journey  is  unmis- 
takably uphill,  but  when  the  summits  of  Cobb  and  St. 
Helena  mountains  are  reached  the  general  grade  seems 
downward. 

Beyond  these  summits  we  cover  the  highway  at  a 
dashing  rate.  On  we  go  by  a  series  of  curves,  ups  and 
downs,  right-angles  and  straight  shoots  through  the  air, 

10 


146  GBAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF   THE    WEST. 

At  one  time  we  seem  to  be  going  up  one  side  of  a 
mammoth  hencoop  and  down  the  other.  What  feats 
our  imaginations  tell  us  we  are  performing!  Now 
comes  the  sensation  of  riding  over  the  arc  of  a  semi- 
circle on  its  hollow  side.  Next  we  make  the  same  ex- 
cursion over  the  convex  rim  of  the  semi-circle  inverted. 
Wonder  follows  wonder.  We  continue  to  experiment 
with  the  semi-circle  until  we  think  we  have  made  its  de- 
tour in  every  conceivable  position.  Then  we  take  up 
the  complete  circle  until,  finally,  by  a  master  stroke, 
we  make  the  entire  circumference  heels  over  head  half 
the  way  round.  It  may  be  asked  how  we  managed 
not  to  spill  out  of  the  coach  while  it  was  bottom  side 
upward;  but  we  did  not  pretend  to  rely  upon  gravity 
at  any  time  to  keep  our  positions.  A  precipitous  bank 
at  one  point  in  the  journey  appears  directly  in  front  of 
us — we  are  shooting  like  an  arrow  toward  it — what  can 
possibly  restrain  us  from  plunging  headlong  into  the 
deep  abyss?  At  this  crisis  a  woman  sitting  on  the 
same  seat  with  the  driver  begins  to  scream  and  grasps 
at  the  lines.  But  the  cool-headed  pilot  of  our  destiny 
keeps  a  firm  hold  on  the  reins  and  steers  us  aside  un- 
harmed. 

Bnt  behold!  what  next?  All  at  once  we  encounter 
a  field  of  glass — glass  pebbles — glass  stones — glass 
boulders.  What  means  the  reckless  distribution  of  so 
valuable  an  article  of  commerce?  The  driver  relieves 
the  puzzled  tourists  of  further  suspense  by  breaking 
the  news  that  we  are  in  the  midst  of  a  volcanic  region. 
Being  assured  that  the  volcanoes  are  all  extinct  and 
harmless  we  breathe  easy.  We  are  now  nearing  our 


OBJECTS    OF   INTEEEST. 


147 


ROUGH    BUT   ROMANTIC 

destination.  This  obsidian,  locally  known  as  "bottle- 
glass,"  continues  to  strew  the  earth  along  the  way. 
Chaparral-crowned  hills  and  grassy  lawns,  studded  with 
oak,  rise  up  before  us  in  rapid  succession.  Here  and 
there  the  white  petals  of  the  azalea  are  seen  flapping 
their  liliputian  banners  in  the  sunlight,  while  moss 


148        GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

and  mistletoe  hang  luxuriant  from  hoary  pines.  The 
glaring  "red-bud,"  like  a  burning  bush,  shoots  out 
from  the  thicket  and  blossoms  of  crimson  and  gold 
flame  with  beauty  along  the  roadside.  The  eye  is  con  - 
stantly  refreshed  by  changing  scenes,  new  vistas  of 
charming  scenery  appear  and  disappear — there  is  noth- 
ing tame  or  trashy  in  a  drive  like  this.  But  now  we 
have  come  to  a  more  level  region;  the  road-bed  begins 
to  assume  a  more  consistent  trend  and  we  glide 
smoothly  along  the  shores  of  Clear  Lake.  Taking  supper 
at  Kelseyville,  we  reach  Lakeport  just  at  night-fall, 
there  consigning  to  the  arms  of  Morpheus  all  that  re- 
mains of  our  mortal  baggage. 

From  Lakeport  we  proceeded  the  next  day  to  Blue 
Lakes,  "-Saratoga  Springs  "  and  other  points  of  inter- 
est. The  whole  region  is  most  delectable.  The  air  is 
bracing,  the  climate  healthful  and  the  scenery  com- 
manding and  noble.  All  about  the  country  are  num- 
berless mineral  springs,  where  iron,  sulphur  and  soda, 
and  in  fact  nearly  all  the  elements  combined  in  favorite 
proportions,  pour  from  nature's  great  soda  fountain 
according  to  her  clever  caprice.  In  these  fascinating 
environments,  among  these  romantic  hills,  and  on  the 
shores  of  these  beautiful  mountain  lakes  we  spent 
three  weeks  and  over  in  a  state  of  blissful  satisfaction. 
Bowing,  sailing  and  fishing  on  the  lakes  and  deer 
hunting  on  the  mountains  were  our  chief  occupations. 
These  we  carried  on  with  success,  and  were  it  not  for 
the  consideration  that  deer  and  fish  stories  are  little 
esteemed  and  seldom  believed,  I  would  be  tempted  to 
recount  some  of  our  thrilling  adventures  with  rod  and 
gun. 


CHAPTEE  X. 

THE    CLIMATE    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

From  the  time  Helen  Hunt  Jackson  wrote  her 
famous  articles  to  "  The  Century,"  to  the  present 
moment,  poets,  novelists,  landlords  and  real-estate 
agents  have  sung  the  praises  of  Southern  California. 
Medical  authorities,  too,  of  good  repute,  have  accorded 
it  a  high  place  among  the  world's  noted  sanitaria. 
John  Muir,  the  writer,  referring  to  the  banner  valley 
of  Southern  California  —  the  San  Gabriel  —  says : 

"It  is  one  of  the  brightest  spots  in  all  our  fair 
land  and  most  of  its  brightness  is  wildness  —  wild 
south  sunshine  in  a  basin  rimmed  about  with  moun- 
tains." Dr.  Congar,  a  resident  physician,  says  of  this 
valley: 

"  The  geographical  position  is  exactly  right,  soil 
and  climate  perfect,  and  everything  that  heart  can 
wish  comes  for  our  efforts  —  flowers,  fruits,  milk  and 
honey,  and  plenty  of  money."  Dr.  Chamberlain  of 
Charity  Hospital,  New  York,  a  more  disinterested 
authority,  says: 

"  The  long,  bright  days  of  Southern  California, 
with  unclouded  sky,  mild  and  even  warmth  and  gentle 
winds,  invite  the  invalid  to  live  in  open  air  and  pro- 
tects him  while  there." 

Dr.  Lindley  of  the  "  Southern  California  Univer- 
sity," vouches  that  he  has  "  never  known  a  child  born 

149 


150       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

in  Southern  California  of  a  phthisical  parent  to  die  of 
pulmonary  disease.  This  is  a  paradise,"  he  adds  "for 
persons  who  have  passed  the  meridian  of  life.  Instead 
of  spending  most  of  their  lives  in  rooms  artificially 
heated,  they  get  a  new  lease  of  life  from  the  sun's 
rays,  the  pure  .atmosphere  and  inspiring  surround- 
ings." 

One  of  the  great  advantages  of  this  southern  climate 
is  alleged  to  be  the  small  difference  between  the  mean 
temperature  of  the  coldest  and  warmest  parts  of  the 
year.  For  example :  The  difference  between  the  mean 
temperature  of  January  and  July  in  New  York  is 
forty-six  degrees,  while  this  difference  at  Los  Angeles 
is  but  eighteen  degrees,  at  San  Diego  eight,  Santa 
Monica  seven,  and  Monterey  six,  the  last  three 
places  being  on  the  coast.  These  differences  are 
indeed  a  marked  contrast  with  those  of  Eastern  cities, 
which,  like  Washington  and  St.  Paul,  hold  their 
warm  and  cold  months  far  apart,  this  difference 
being  in  the  case  of  these  two  cities  forty  and 
fifty-seven  degrees  respectively.  The  Los  Angeles 
signal  service  records  show  that,  for  six  years,  the 
coldest  month  of  the  year  has  an  average  temperature 
of  fifty-two  degrees  and  the  warmest  month  about 
seventy  degrees. 

This  feature,  so  much  dwelt  upon  by  the  zealous 
climatist,  is  plausible  and  worthy  of  due  estimation  by 
those  seeking  a  more  beneficent  sky;  but  there  are 
other  facts  and  considerations  which  must  be  kept  in 
mind  —  qualifying  as  they  do  this  theory  of  uniform 
temperature.  It  will  be  noticed  that  these  places  hav- 


FRUIT  SCENE  IN  SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA. 


152       GKAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

ing  such  uniformity  are,  with  the  exception  of  Los 
Angeles,  on  the  coast,  and  the  latter  is  but  eighteen 
miles  inland.  If  it  be  desirable  for  people  with  dis- 
ordered lungs  to  live  on  or  near  the  coast,  then  this 
theory  of  uniform  temperature  is  especially  pertinent. 
But  as  we  move  landward  toward  the  interior  valleys, 
this  gulf  between  the  warmest  and  coldest  parts  of  the 
year  materially  widens.  It  is  difficult  to  get  statistics  on 
the  subject,  since  the  records  in  these  newer  settle- 
ments, away  from  the  direct  ocean  winds  are  limited  or 
else  entirely  wanting.  Besides,  weather  statistics  are 
somewhat  misleading  in  California,  since,  on  account 
of  the  wide  daily  range  of  the  thermometer,  extremes 
in  part  offset  each  other,  some  portion  of  an  excessive- 
ly hot  day  usually  having  an  opposite  excess  of  cold, 
which  puts  the  day  on  record  as  one  of  moderate  tem- 
perature, and  secures  a  fair  showing  for  the  monthly 
average.  We  can  also  easily  reason  from  analogy 
that  this  uniformity  does  not  prevail  in  any  such 
degree  in  the  interior.  The  short  distance  of 
eighteen  miles  recession  makes  a  difference  of  ten  de- 
grees or  more  in  the  case  of  Los  Angeles,  and  a  con- 
siderable greater  difference  must  maintain  in  the 
valleys  still  further  removed  from  the  tempering  in- 
fluence of  the  trade  winds.  Adding  to  this  the  re- 
sults of  inland  observations,  personal  experience,  and 
the  testimony  of  friends  having  longer  periods  of 
observation  upon  which  to  base  opinion,  and  the  neces- 
sary conclusion  is  reached  that  this  uniformity  of 
temperature  in  the  interior  is  not  so  remarkable,  but 
that  the  climate  is  at  times  continuously  and  exces- 


TROPIC  FOLIAGE,  COAST. 


154  GEAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

sively  hot.  The  debilitating  effect  of  this  condition  can 
not  be  questioned.  It  made  itself  apparent  as  applied 
to  those  coming  under  my  own  observation  as  early  as 
the  month  of  March  and  was  much  commented  upon  by 
Eastern  tourists.  I  find  similar  reports  of  other  years 
—  reports  given  by  those  who  had  no  climatic  invest- 
ments at  stake  and  no  interest  in  conveying  false  im- 
pressions of  the  country. 

The  winters  of  Southern  California  are,  without 
question,  delightfully  mild,  and  this  seems  to  be  its 
distinctive  merit.  Still  there  are  others,  who  view  the 
subject  in  a  different  light,  refusing  to  recalcitrate 
against  the  exceeding  mildness  of  the  warmer  months. 
This  is  the  case  with  some  permanent  residents,  who 
accept,  in  much  the  same  spirit,  the  matchless  glory  of 
flowery  winter  and  what  the  writer  viewed  as  the  sar- 
donic and  vituperable  "  mildness  "  of  recreant  summer. 

The  thermometer,  skirmishing  recklessly  about 
among  the  nineties  in  the  shade,  and  that  too  for  many 
days  in  succession  and  as  early  as  the  month  of  March, 
as  the  writer  has  known  to  be  the  case,  must  at  least 
modify  some  of  the  utopian  representations  of  Southern 
California's  faultless  climate.  The  effect  of  this  exces- 
sive heat  was  observed  to  be  depressing  to  invalids  and 
seriously  prejudicial  to  their  progress. 

In  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  I  found  the  heat  even 
more  oppressive  than  at  the  same  time  of  year  at  the 
South.  The  reason  for  this  is  easily  understood.  The 
ocean  winds  (known  among  climatologists  as  the  polar 
currents)  in  sweeping  southward  over  Oregon  and 
Northern  California  become  more  and  more  dessicated 


156  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE   WEST. 

of  moisture  as  they  advance  over  the  dry  soil  of  these 
regions.  By  the  time  they  reach  the  San  Joaquin 
Valley,  they  have  become  almost  completely  deprived 
of  moisture  and  heated  to  a  high  degree  by  contact 
with  the  plains.  These  hot  winds  from  the  north, 
however,  being  obstructed  by  the  Tehachepi  mountains 
or  else  meeting  counter-currents  from  the  south  do 
not  often  affect  the  southern  part  of  the  state.  They 
seem  content  to  let  loose  their  fury  in  the  larger  val- 
leys at  the  north.  Nothing  therefore  is  gained  in  the 
way  of  comfort  or  benefit  by  emigrating  to  the  plains 
beyond  the  Tehachepi  mountains. 

The  one  dominating  incentive  of  this  chapter  being 
the  desire  to  present  truthful  information  concern- 
ing the  climate  of  California,  for  the  benefit  of  tourists 
and  climate-seekers  from  the  East  who  are  every  year 
resorting  hither,  it  will,  I  trust,  be  profitable  to  enter 
a  little  more  into  detail  and  sum  up  briefly  and  impar- 
tially as  possible  the  results  of  the  writer's  investiga- 
tion of  this  subject. 

First  as  regards  the  coast.  Here,  for  causes  well 
understood,  the  temperature  is  notably  uniform;  but 
this  uniformity  does  not  necessarily  make  it  the  para- 
gon of  resorts  for  the  lung  invalid.  Nature,  indeed, 
never  leaves  all  her  treasures  in  one  place.  Whenever  - 
there  is  a  marked  difference  between  the  temperature 
of  the  Japan  current  (which  skirts  the  coast  of  Cali- 
fornia) and  the  surrounding  ocean,  or  when  the 
northerly  and  southerly  winds  interlace  their  unequal 
temperatures,  the  result  is  seen  in  the  vast  volumes  of 
fog  which  blow  in  upon  the  coast.  In  the  spring  these 


158        GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

fogs  prevail  nearly  throughout  the  length  of  the  state, 
while  at  San  Francisco  and  other  places  north,  they 
continue  during  the  summer.  The  greater  part  of  the 
coast  country  is,  in  fact,  subject  to  them  nearly  three- 
fourths  of  the  year.  But  even  when  these  do  not  pre- 
vail, the  air  is  much  of  the  time  charged  with  an  excess 
of  moisture.  The  average  humidity,  for-  the  year,  on 
the  coast  is  seventy  per  cent.,  while  sixty  per  cent,  is 
the  normal,  and  for  diseased  lungs  a  less  degree 
than  this  is  generally  recommended.  Hence,  since 
fog  is  not  produced  till  the  air  reaches  one  hun- 
dred per  cent,  humidity,  it  will  be  readily  seen  that,  in 
the  absence  of  fog,  this  excess  of  moisture  may  prove 
very  prejudicial  to  the  invalid — especially  such  as  are 
afflicted  with  asthma  or  consumption,  for  the  relief  of 
which  dry  air  is  indispensable.  It  may  be  well  to  ob- 
serve, however,  that  Santa  Barbara  and  Monterey, 
shielded  as  they  are  from  the  direct  ocean  winds  by 
projecting  headlands,  and  San  Diego  spared  from  fog 
by  the  recession  of  the  Japan  current,  are  held  in  much 
esteem  as  coast  resorts.  The  southern  coast  is  in  fact 
less  afflicted  with  a  humid  atmosphere  than  the  north- 
ern. It  seems,  indeed,  specially  agreeable  and  bene- 
ficial to  some  constitutions,  while  to  others  it  is  posi- 
tively hazardous — personal  idiosyncrasies  doubtless 
accounting  for  these  discordant  results.  Persons  hav- 
ing a  predilection  for  the  seaside  can  easily  visit  some 
of  the  favored  resorts  of  the  coast  and  test  their  virtues 
as  applied  to  the  case  in  hand.  In  general,  the  humid- 
ity diminishes  about  one  per  cent,  to  every  five  miles 
recession  to  the  eastward ;  and  thus  it  may  be  roughly 


THE    CLIMATE    OF   CALIFORNIA.  159 

(and  quite  roughly)  estimated  how  far  inland  the  pa- 
tient, sensitive  to  moist  air,  will  find  it  advisable  to 
locate. 

Now  let  us  revert  to  the  north  and  make  a  few 
wholesome  comparisons.  That  the  climate  of  Northern 
California  has  been  the  victim  of  many  popular  mis- 
apprehensions it  is  eminently  safe  to  assert.  There  is, 
indeed,  a  current  notion  that  Northern  and  Southern 
California  are  distinct  entities — the  one  an  insalubri- 
ous region  of  extreme  heat  and  cold — the  other  a 
blooming  paradise  of  tropical  fruits  and  unfailing 
health. 

There  is  a  cause  for  this  false  view.  Those  who 
come  to  California  in  the  winter  (and  most  of  the  immi- 
gration thither  is  at  that  season)  are  in  many  cases 
impelled  to  steer  toward  the  warmer  zone  and  hence 
take  the  southern  routes,  visiting  Los  Angeles  and 
vicinity  first.  Here  a  persistent  effort  is  made  to 
convince  the  tourist  that  throughout  the  north  adverse 
elements  prevail  and  that  the  only  Elysium  is  South- 
ern California.  As  an  illustration  of  this  spirit  to 
decry  the  north  and  extol  the  south,  a  citizen  of 
Pasadena  was  one  day  vehemently  setting  forth  to  me 
the  various  objections  to  the  climate  of  a  certain 
northern  city — berating  it  ad  extremum.  Accepting 
his  representations,  I  logically  and  innocently  asked,  if 
he  thought  I  would  take  many  chances  on  my  life,  in 
breathing  the  air  there,  should  I  stop  off  between 
trains  to  see  the  town.  Thereupon  he  suddenly  turned 
the  topic  of  conversation  while  bystanders,  as  sum- 
marily retired,  their  handkerchiefs,  at  the  same  time 


160       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

vigorously  wrestling  with  the  intractible  muscles  of 
the  face.  Notwithstanding  this  stampede  I  persisted  in 
having  my  enquiry  answered,  insisting  that  it  was  ex- 
actly to  the  point.  But  for  some  reason  I  couldn't 
make  him  see  it  in  that  light,  as  he  had  now  got  his 
mind  on  the  oat  crops. 

The  average  Southern  Calfornian,  gradually  catch- 
ing up  the  spirit  and  phraseology  of  the  lucre-aspiring 
confreres  of  Autolycus,  would  have  the  Eastern  tourist 
believe  that  a  "  Mason  and  Dixon's  line  "  of  climate 
separates  Northern  and  Southern  California.  This  is 
by  no  means  true  of  all,  but  notably  of  those  who  spend 
much  time  within  hearing-distance  of  the  "  boomers  " 
or  within  reading-range  of  hotel  and  real  estate  litera- 
ture. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  from  the  parallel  of  San  Diego, 
within  two  hours  drive  of  Mexico,  to  that  of  Mt. 
Shasta,  near  the  Oregon  line,  the  same  general  char- 
acteristics of  climate  prevail.  Great  differences  indeed 
exist  along  the  parallels  and  almost  any  desired 
climate  may  be  had  by  traveling  due  eastward  from  the 
coast.  But  moving  north  and  south  along  the  meri- 
dians, it  would  puzzle  the  most  acute  observer  from 
abroad  to  state  within  three  or  four  hundred  miles 
where  our  good  southern  friends  would  draw  the 
climate-line  between  the  Eldorado  of  sunshine  and  the 
"  inhospitable  "  North.  The  mean  annual  temperature 
along  the  coast  is  the  same  for  more  than  five  hundred 
miles,  while  the  mean  summer  temperature  in  this  belt  is 
the  same  for  over  eight  hundred  miles ;  in  fact  greater 
differences  of  climate  are  often  encountered  in  a  single 


162       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

day's  drive  from  the  coast  eastward,  than  exist  at  the 
same  time  between  Los  Angeles  and  Puget's  Sound, — 
a  thousand  miles  apart. 

So,  in  the  interior,  the  same  general  characteristics 
prevail  throughout  the  state.  The  mean  annual  tem- 
perature at  Bedding,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Sac- 
ramento Valley,  is  almost  precisely  the  same  as  that  at 
Tulare  in  the  southern  part  of  the  San  Joaquin.  The 
mean  annual  temperature  of  Sacramento,  the  coolest 
place  in  the  Sacramento  Valley,  is  the  same  as  that  of 
Los  Angeles,  the  coolest  city  in  the  valleys  of  Southern 
California.  The  great  interior  plains  of  the  north  have 
likewise  no  monopoly  in  summer  heat.  The  same, 
somewhat  mitigated,  is  incident  to  the  south  as  well. 

Other  features  in  common  are  equally  suggestive. 
One  of  these  is  found  in  the  circumstance  that  the 
north  is  presenting  the  same  stages  of  development 
already  witnessed  at  the  south  —  illustrating  the  com- 
mon character  of  their  climate  and  resources  in  a 
striking  manner.  In  the  early  times  we  find  Southern 
California  given  over  to  the  dominant  occupation  of 
stock  raising.  Then  followed  the  more  profitable  era 
of  agriculture  ;  next  the  cultivation  of  tropical  fruits  ; 
and  lastly,  the  cultivation  of  Quixotic  prices  —  the  lat- 
ter being  based  upon  the  alleged  value  created  by  su- 
perior climatic  advantages  for  the  invalid  and  home- 
seeker.  These  same  evolutions  are  to-day  unquestion- 
ably in  progress  at  the  north.  The  era  of  horticulture 
has  for  years  been  crowding  close  upon  that  of  grazing 
and  agriculture,  and  already  the  three  industries  are 
unmistakably  wedded.  The  recent  pomological  dis- 


164  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

plays,  in  which  all  kinds  of  citrus  and  other  semi-trop- 
ical fruits  grown  at  the  north,  were  exhibited,  have  suffi- 
ciently evinced  the  horticultural  resources  of  Northern 
California.  Indeed  the  north  has  some  advantages  over 
the  south  in  this  respect,  being  able  to  largely  dispense 
with  irrigation  and  favored  with  the  great  center  of 
population  conveniently  accessible.  In  nearly  all  the 
counties  along  the  Sacramento  River  the  orange  and 
lemon  are  in  a  state  of  profitable  cultivation,  and  even 
the  olive,  almond,  fig,  persimmon,  English  walnut  and 
raisin  are  making  rapid  headway.  In  Butte  County, 
nearly  two  hundred  miles  north  from  San  Francisco,  is 
one  of  the  best  citrus  regions  in  the  state  ;  and  in  Te- 
hama  County,  still  further  north,  the  largest,  if  not  the 
most  productive,  vineyard  in  the  world.  Indeed  there 
is  scarcely  a  species  of  fruit  of  commanding  importance 
at  the  south  that  is  not  being  sucessfully  cultivated 
in  the  foot-hills  and  valleys  of  Northern  California. 
Some  varieties  succeed  even  better  in  the  latter  region. 
These  considerations  show  the  manifest  absurdity  of 
the  distinction,  in  the  accepted  sense,  of  Northern  and 
Southern  California. 

As  a  retreat  for  invalids,  especially  those  suffering 
from  pulmonary  complaints,  without  doubt  more  com- 
fort and  benefit  are  realized,  in  the  warmer  months,  in 
the  northerly  portions  of  the  state.  But  here  as  else- 
where the  convalescent  must  exercise  judgment.  It 
would  hardly  be  advisable,  at  least  during  the  summer 
months,  to  take  up  quarters  on  the  plains  of  either  the 
Sacramento  or  San  Joaquin  Valley.  On  the  other 
hand,  notwithstanding  there  are  those  who  delight  in 


THE    CLIMATE    OF    CALIFORNIA.  165 

pitching  their  fortunes  high  up  among  the  snows  of  the 
Sierras,  it  is  doubtful  if  the  health-seeker  should  locate 
much  if  any  above  the  line  of  four  thousand  feet  equal 
elevation  —  the  line  drawn  by  topographers  between 
the  secondary  foot-hills  and  the  great  timber  belt  of 

the  Sierras. 

But  between  these  extremes  of  heat  and  cold  —  the 
low  plains  and  the  high  Sierras  —  may  be  found  —  not 
the  superb  hotels  of  less  deserving  resorts  —  but  dry 
bracing  breezes  freighted  with  health  and  healing. 
The  whole  country  embraced  between  the  alluvial  lands 
of  the  valleys  and  the  line  of  four  thousand  feet  ele- 
vation just  referred  to,  a  territory  at  least  twenty  thou- 
sand square  miles  in  area,  is  a  region  possessing  re- 
markable sanative  properties  for  the  relief  of  pulmo- 
nary troubles.  In  the  western  foot-hills  of  the  Coast 
Range  similar  conditions  are  also  to  be  found  —  in 
either  region  the  primary  foot-hills  (below  the  line  of 
two  thousand  feet  elevation)  being  perhaps  most  desir- 
able for  the  average  invalid. 

It  should  here  be  observed  that  the  foot-hills  and 
valleys  of  the  Sierras  and  Coast  Eange  possess  a  vari- 
ety of  climatic  conditions,  owing  to  peculiar  configura- 
tions in  the  mountains,  the  proximity  of  snow-capped 
peaks  and  the  course  of  the  winds.  In  the  region  of 
the  "Thermal  Belt"  however,  the  climate  seeker  is 
reasonably  secure  from  adverse  influences.  This  ther- 
mal belt  is  a  warm  zone  existing  at  a  moderate  altitude 
and  nearly  surrounding  the  great  interior  valley. 

It  is  also  here  in  place  to  note  the  fact  that  no  cli- 
mate is  to  be  found  on  the  Pacific  coast  that  can  prom- 


166        GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

ise  much  to  those  in  the  advanced  stages  of  consump- 
tion.    But  those  upon  whom  the  disease  is  not  deeply 
rooted  find  great  relief  and  often  complete  recovery. 
There  is  nothing  inherent  in  the  atmosphere,  as  some 
would  seem  to  infer,  that  is  proof  against  troubles  of 
a  phthisical  nature.     The  native  white  population  in- 
deed enjoys    remarkable   immunity  from  these  afflic- 
tions, but  investigation  shows  that  among  the  native 
Spaniards,  lung  diseases    (especially  consumption)  are 
very  common   and  yearly  on  the  increase.     But  this 
strange  inconsistency  is  not  allowed  to  go  unexplained. 
Close  inter-marriages,  sudden  change  in  mode  of  life 
since  the  supremacy  of  the  white  population,  and  the 
depraved  and  wretched  condition  in  which  the  average 
native  lives,  are  the  alleged  causes  of  these  startling 
developments.     Still  this  straw  points  to  an  important 
factor  among  the  remedial  influences  which  add  celeb- 
rity to  health-resorts  and  at  the  same  time  furnishes 
a  timely  and  suggestive  hint  of  much  value  to  the  con- 
valescent.      It  shows    the    paramount    importance   of 
looking  well   to  other  conditions  as  well  as  those  of 
climate.     The  locality,  the  temperature  and  elevation 
may  all  be  right,  but  if  other  sanitary  precautions  are 
ignored,  these  a-re  of  little  avail.     The  luxurious  win- 
ters of  Southern  California;  the  three   hundred  days 
of  coveted  sunshine  which    bless  the  year  in  almost 
every  part  of  the  State  ;  the  recruiting  winds  that  fan 
the  valleys  and  hill-sides  —  these  are  all  futile  in  the 
absence  of  personal  care.     This  care  should  be  exer- 
cised in  making  the  immediate    surroundings  whole- 
some  and    inviting,    wearing  suitable  apparal,  avoid- 


HAUNTS  OF  THE   TROUT, 


168       GEAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

ing  exposure  to  damp  air  and  chilling  winds  ;  in  lo- 
cating, if  possible,  apart  from  those  having  kindred 
ailments,  securing  well-prepared  and  palatable  food, 
pleasant  scenery,  cheerful  associations  and  an  open 
air  life.  To  these  should  be  added,  agreeable  employ- 
ment, judicious  recreation  with  horse  and  rod  and  gun, 
or,  indeed,  any  well-chosen  means  of  exercise  condu- 
cive to  normal  appetite,  free  respiration  and  a  con- 
tented frame  of  mind.  In  the  pacific  and  antiseptic 
air  of  this  western  coast,  thus  supplemented  by  these 
and  similar  precautions  and  expedients,  there  is  un- 
doubted virtue.  The  patient  over  whom  the  wasting 
disease  has  not  gained  ascendancy  has  many  reasons 
for  entertaining  good  cheer  and  hope,  and  confidently 
looking  forward  to  renewed  health  and  happiness. 


CHAPTEE  XI. 

THE  CITY  OF  THE  SAJNTS. 

After  so  long  and  delightful  a  sojourn  in  the  sunny 
land  of  Proteus,  it  was  with  somewhat  of  reluctance 
that  we  entertained  the  thought  of  leaving  the  scene 
of  so  many  pleasing  and  inspiring  associations.  But 
even  the  gods  do  not  always  hover  about  Olympus,  and 
so  in  our  case  it  seemed  advisable  to  break  loose  from 
these  attractions  and  this  novel  paradise  to  which  Uncle 
Sam  holds  title  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Leaving  San  Francisco  by  the  way  of  the  Central 
Pacific,  we  passed  through  the  productive  valley  of  the 
Sacramento  to  the  capital  city,  whence,  after  a  brief 
stop,  we  proceeded  to  climb  the  Sierras  on  the  iron 
rail,  and  soon  found  ourselves  at  Auburn,  a  charming 
village  among  the  foothills.  The  first  verse  of  Gold- 
smith's "  Village,"  slightly  paraphrased,  admirably 
applies  to  this  place  —  it  being  only  necessary  to  sub- 
stitute the  word  "foothills'5  for  "plain."  Here  we 
laid  over  one  day,  taking  the  sleeper  the  following 
night  en  route  for  Ogden  and  the  Salt  Lake  region. 

It  seemed  a  pity  to  ride  over  the  Sierras  by  night, 
and  thus  be  deprived  of  seeing  the  wild  and  rugged 
scenery  which  friends  and  guide-books  informed  us  to 
be  highly  interesting ;  but  we  were  in  part  consoled  by 
the  reflection  that  we  had  already  enjoyed  more  than 
an  average  dose  of  mountain  wonders,  and  fell  to  sleep 

169 


170       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

in  good  conscience.  Our  night  journey  took  us  by  the 
famous  mountain  pass,  "  Cape  Horn,'1  where  it  is  said 
the  passenger  is  able,  by  extending  his  arm  from  the 
window,  to  drop  a  stone  half  a  mile  perpendicular  into 
the  canon  below.  But  we  rode  over  those  frightful 
precipices  and  terrifying  chasms  without  rigidity  of 
the  scalp  or  an  extra  thump  of  the  heart. 

In  this  night  journey  we  also  passed  near  by  the 
celebrated  lakes  on  the  summit  of  the  Sierras  —  Lake 
Tahoe,  Donner  and  Webber  —  resorts  much  frequented 
and  possessing,  it  is  said,  fine  scenic  attractions.  These 
places  are  reached  by  short  side  tracks  from  the  main 
line,  being  easily  accessible.  Not  having  personally 
visited  them,  the  best  I  can  do  is  to  give  the  reader  a 
panoramic  view  of  these  novel  sheets  of  water  high  up 
in  the  firmament. 

After  breakfasting  at  Reno,  a  town  of  over  four 
thousand  inhabitants  just  over  the  line  in  Nevada  and 
the  gateway  to  the  famous  Comstock  mines,  we  speeded 
eastward  through  the  great  Nevada  desert.  This 
appeals  to  every  sense  as  an  abandoned  and  desolate 
region  —  nothing  in  the  form  of  vegetable  life  cheer- 
ing the  eye,  except  the  artemisia  or  sage-bush,  and 
nothing  in  the  animal  kingdom  but  lizards  and  jack- 
rabbits. 

The  nomenclature  of  this  region  is  quite  descrip- 
tive—  "Desert,"  "Hot  Springs,"  "Mirage,"  "White 
Plains,"  "  Winnemucca,"  "  Piute,"  and  other  station 
names  equally  novel  but  with  applications  less  appar- 
ent. The  prepossession,  more  and  more  confirmed, 
that  we  are  in  a  land  of  desolation  without  agricultural 


172  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES   OF    THE    WEST. 

possibilities,  is  modified  by  the  cheering  oasis  at  Hum- 
boldt,  the  dinner  station,  and  especially  by  the  phe- 
nomena- which,  after  a  ride  of  thirty  hours  through 
the  forbidding  country,  presents  itself  in  the  fertile 
valley  of  the  Mormons. 

After  a  short  lay-off  at  Ogden,  which  was  made  still 
shorter  by  the  satisfying  employment  of  reinstating 
the  inner  man,  made  sensibly  vacuitous  by  the  desert 
ride,  we  transferred  to  the  "  scenic  route  "  -  the 
Denver  &  Kio  Grande  —  and  are  soon  brought  to  the 
world-renowned  "  City  of  the  Saints." 

In  the  way  of  natural  scenery  there  are  many 
objects  of  interest  in  the  vicinity  of  Salt  Lake  City, 
prominent  among  which  is  the  great  Salt  Lake  itself  — 
a  sheet  of  such  notoriety  that  one  would  scarcely  wish 
to  pass  it  without  examining  its  peculiar  saline  and 
anti- sinking  properties.  This  we  visited  several  times, 
daily  excursions  making  it  conveniently  accessible  by 
rail,  a  distance  of  thirteen  miles  from  the  city.  It  was, 
however,  rather  too  cold  for  comfort,  the  best  time  for 
bathing  being  in  July  and  August. 

North  of  the  city  the  Mount  of  Prophecy,  which 
towers  with  dignified  grace,  furnishes  the  best  lookout 
upon  the  valley.  From  its  oval  summit  the  observer 
looks  down  upon  the  silvery  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea  at 
the  west,  and  below,  at  the  south,  sees  the  City  of  the 
Saints  and  the  beautiful  valley  of  Jordon.  The  latter 
is  hemmed  in  by  the  Oquirrh  Mountains  on  the  west, 
and  the  Wasatch  on  the  east,  altogether  presenting  a 
picture  of  true  sublimity.  At  the  east  also  there  is  an 
opening  in  the  mountains,  and  in  this  direction  Camp 


H 


OVER  THE  SIERRA  SUMMITS, 


174       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

Douglass,  happily  situated  on  a  bench  at  the  base  of 
the  mountain,  overlooks  the  city.  Below  this  camp  is 
the  famous  Emigration  Canon,  threading  its  way  be- 
tween the  mountains.  This  is  historic  ground,  being 
the  place  where  Brigham  Young  and  the  "  Pioneer 
Band  "  entered  the  valley,  and  in  fact  the  beaten  track 
through  which  the  long  train  of  emigrant  turnouts 
filed  their  way  westward  in  the  early  days.  A  history 
of  those  times  that  did  not  recount  the  sentimental 
events  occurring  in  this  canon  would  indeed  be  a  rara 
avis  of  its  kind. 

Close  by  is  Parley's  Canon  and  Parley's  Park. 
These  places  are  so  named  from  Parley  Pratt,  a  zeal- 
ous Mormon,  who  had  six  wives  besides  Mrs.  Hector 
McLean,  whom  he  converted  and  with  whom  he  ab- 
sconded. For  his  greed  on  this  occasion  he  received 
his  reward  in  this  world  by  being  carved  into  sliced 
bacon  with  a  bowie  knife  wielded  by  the  enraged  hus- 
band, and  in  the  next  by  being  enrolled  among  the 
"  Glorious  Martyrs"  to  the  Mormon  faith. 

Beyond  this  park,  to  the  south,  are  a  succession  of 
interesting  places  —  South  Mill  Creek  and  Cottonwood 
Canon,  Silver  Mountain,  the  well-known  Flag-staff, 
North  Star  and  Emma  Mines,  and,  still  further  on, 
grand  old  Mount  Nebo,  twelve  thousand  feet  high. 

Weber,  Echo  and  American  Fork  canons  are  all 
in  the  vicinity  and  noted  places  of  interest  easily 
reached. 

More  than  a  decade  and  a  half  ago  an  observant 
American  writer  said,  "Ten  years  hence,  scarcely  a 
relic  of  polygamy  and  the  patriarchal  system  will 


176       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

remain."  The  fulfillment  of  this  bold  prophecy  surely 
can  not  be  claimed,  and  especially  when  made  to  apply 
to  the  visible  institutions  of  this  polygamous  order  of 
saints.  For  it  is  their  works  that  to-day  astonish  the 
stranger  who,  for  leagues  away,  espies  the  mysterious 
prodigies  of  their  architectural  skill  looming  up  in  the 
midst  of  a  desert  country,  as  if  called  into  being  by  a 
Druid's  wand.  These  imposing  edifices  overtop  the 
city  itself  in  most  suggestive  proportions,  dispelling  all 
doubt  as  to  relics  of  the  patriarchal  system. 

Proceeding  to  make  a  closer  inspection  of  the 
remarkable  structures  which  so  rivited  our  attention 
in  the  distance,  and  which  we  found  mainly  located  in 
Temple  Block,  in  a  prominent  part  of  the  city,  we 
were  at  once  confronted  by  a  mammoth  temple,  old  in 
story  but  new  in  aspect.  This  has  already  been  in 
process  of  erection  for  over  thirty  -  five  years,  and 
though  still  not  complete,  has  nearly  reached  the  de- 
signed height  of  ninety-nine  feet.  Its  massive  walls 
are  from  seven  to  nine  feet  thick,  and  are  composed  of 
solid  granite  of  a  superior  quality,  hewn  out  of  the 
neighboring  mountains.  The  Temple  is  intended  for 
the  mystic  rites  now  performed  in  the  Endowment 
House,  and  not  for  regular  public  service.  The  out- 
side world  must  therefore  be  content  to  regale  the 
senses  upon  its  external  beauty,  blissfully  ignorant  of 
the  Elusinian  mysteries  within. 

The  windows  are  very  peculiar,  those  of  the  second 
and  fourth  stories  being  circular  and  the  keystone  over 
each  having  a  star  set  in  bold  relief.  Circular  bosses 
on  the  sides  are  adorned  with  suns,  moons  and  stars, 


12 


178  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

and,  it  is  said,  maps  of  the  world  are  to  be  added  in 
other  places.  The  cost  of  the  building,  by  the  most 
conservative  calculation,  has  already  reached  two  mill- 
ion dollars,  while  estimates  run  from  this  up  to  fifteen 
millions;  but  such  matters  are  usually  overdrawn. 
Probably  at  least  another  million  will  be  required  for 
its  completion,  although  work  appears  at  present  to  be 
practically  suspended. 

Close  by  in  Temple  Block  is  a  clumsy,  but  very 
impressive  structure  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long 
by  one  hundred  and  fifty  wide.  This  is  the  Taber- 
nacle. It  holds  aloft  an  immense  roof,  resembling  (as 
the  janitor  informed  us)  a  vast  boat  turned  bottom 
side  up.  This  roof  is  supported  by  forty-six  pillars  of 
red  cut  sandstone,  six  feet  square,  ten  feet  high,  and 
extending  around  the  whole  building.  In  the  centre 
the  roof  is  sixty -five  feet  above  the  floor.  The  janitor 
showed  us  its  wonderful  acoustic  properties  by  drop- 
ping a  pin  at  one  end  of  the  building,  while  the  com- 
pany remained  at  the  other,  the  sound  being  distinctly 
heard  by  all.  It  is  said,  however,  that  between  these 
points  sounds  become  so  blended  that  hearing  is  not 
such  a  luxury  as  might  be  inferred  from  the  success 
of  this  experiment. 

The  great  organ,  we  were  told  by  the  guide,  has 
twenty-eight  hundred  pipes  and  fifty-seven  stops.  It 
is  forty-eight  feet  high,  thirty-six  deep,  thirty-three 
wide,  and  alleged  to  be  next  to  the  largest  in  America. 
The  Tabernacle  seats  ten  thousand,  while  thirteen 
thousand  have  been  accommodated.  In  front  of  the 
organ  and  the  rostrum  are  three  descending  seats,  the 


180       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

upper  having  been  formerly  occupied  by  Brigharn 
Young,  the  next  by  apostles,  and  the  lower  by  high 
priests. 

The  Endowment  House,  concerning  the  mysteries 
of  which  there  has  been  so  much  speculation,  is  situ- 
ated in  Temple  Block,  northwest  of  the  new  Taberna- 
cle, being  located  in  the  same  quarter  of  the  block 
with  the  old  Tabernacle. 

Assembly  Hall,  a  more  modern  structure,  with  min- 
arets tastefully  adorning  the  outer  edges  of  its  roof,  is 
just  south  of  the  Tabernacle,  and  furnishes  a  very  con- 
venient building  for  the  transaction  of  business  and 
the  holding  of  meetings  not  largely  attended.  Its 
inside  walls  are  elaborately  illustrated  with  scenes  of 
Mormon  history  and  achievement. 

Leaving  Temple  Block  by  the  south  exit,  through 
a  turreted  adobe  wall  twelve  feet  high,  we  find  our- 
selves on  South  Temple  street,  a  noted  Mormon  ave- 
nue. Passing  a  few  rods  eastward  we  cross  East 
Temple  street  and  come  to  Prophets'  Block,  directly 
east  of  Temple  Block.  At  the  nearest  corner  is  an 
antiquated  building  which  constituted  the  old  Mor- 
mon store,  and  is  now  devoted  to  the  "  Deseret  News  " 
and  othor  Mormon  publications.  East  of  this  is  the 
Tithing  House  and  Court,  and  a  little  further  on  the 
Lion  and  Bee-hive  houses,  where  Brigham  Young 
managed  his  conclave  of  concubines.  Over  the  Bee- 
hive House  is  an  emblematic  bee-hive  carved  in  stone. 
Some  have  interpreted  this  as  symbolic  of  the  annual 
swarming  of  progeny,  but  inquiry  quickly  dispels  the 


SCENES     IN     THE     NEVADA     DESERT. 


182  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

hallucination,  as  it  will  be  promptly  explained  as  typi- 
fying industry. 

Eagle  Gate,  just  east  of  the  Bee-hive,  is  a  name 
applied  to  the  entrance  to  City  Creek  Canon,  which  is 
reached  by  passing  under  an  immense  arch  surmounted 
by  an  eagle,  carved  in  wood.  This  canon  furnishes 
the  source  of  water  supply  for  the  city.  Just  north  of 
these  hot-beds  of  polygamy  is  the  Kirnball  Block,  the 
premises  consisting  of  one  large  dwelling  and  several 
smaller  ones,  once  owned  by  the  late  Heber  C.  Kim- 
ball,  of  Mormon  fame,  who  had  seventeen  wives.  Just 
across  the  way  from  the  Bee-hive  is  the  Amelia  Palace, 
named  in  honor  of  Brigham's  favorite  Amelia.  This 
was.  for  a  long  time  the  finest  residence  between  the 
Pacific  coast  and  the  Missouri  River. 

Zion's  Co-operative  Mercantile  Institute,  the  name 
applied  to  the  present  Mormon  store,  is  a  really  cred- 
itable building,  combining  beauty  and  utility  in  a 
degree  seldom  attained  in  Mormon  architecture. 

Salt  Lake  City  is  about  four  thousand,  three  hun- 
dred feet  above  sea  level  and  was  laid  out  in  1847, 
just  before  the  gold  excitement  in  California.  Each 
street  is  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet  wide,  each 
block  forty  rods  square,  containing  ten  acres  each. 
There  are  nine  squares  to  each  ward.  Many  of  the 
buildings  are  of  adobe  brick.  The  yards  are  well  kept, 
most  of  them  being  decorated  with  various  kinds  of 
shrubbery,  trees  and  flowers. 

To  one  riding  through  long  stretches  of  the  desert 
region,  the  sight  of  green  vegetation,  fruitful  orchards, 
floral  lawns  and  tasty  dwellings  can  scarcely  fail  to 


184       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OP  THE  WEST. 

awaken  emotion  and  elicit  praise,  if  not  applause — 
these  cheerful  manifestations  so  strangely  contrasting 
with  the  desolate  solitudes  in  such  close  proximity. 
Even  more  must  this  have  been  the  case  in  early  times 
when  the  overland  immigrant,  after  weeks  and  months 
of  weary  travel  through  arid  desert  and  rugged  canon, 
constantly  menaced  by  the  savagery  of  man  and 
beast  and  the  hostile  elements  of  nature,  first 
caught  sight  of  this  cheering  oasis  in  his  restless 
march  to  the  interior.  For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century 
Salt  Lake  City  was  the  only  place  of  importance  be- 
tween the  Mississippi  Valley  and  the  Pacific  Slope — 
practically  the  only  relief  station  on  the  way.  Its 
streets  aligned  with  refreshing  streams  of  running 
water,  its  verdant  lawns  and  neat  cottages,  its  weird 
scenery  of  mountain  and  plain,  its  mysterious  religious 
atmosphere  and  peculiar  people  —  these,  in  connection 
with  the  peculiar  frame  of  mind  in  which  the  average 
immigrant  approached  its  borders,  have  seldom  failed  to 
invest  the  region  with  something  more  than  a  tinsel 
of  enchantment. 

One  thing  was  especially  impressive  to  the  writer 
and  that  was  the  orderly  conduct  of  the  inhabitants 
and  the  commendable  business-like  manner  which  pre- 
vailed. The  signs  of  culture,  however,  are  not  so 
marked,  while  the  average  female  is  not  conspicuously 
prepossessing.  The  children  are  orderly  on  the  street, 
and  very  reticent  as  to  all  matters  pertaining  to  their 
religion.  "  I  don't  know  "  is  the  stereotyped  reply,  at 
times  accompanied  by  a  significant  twinkle  of  the  eye 
which  says:  "I  do  know  all  the  same,  but  you  are 


THE   CITY   OF    THE   SAINTS. 


185 


not  going  to  get  any  tales  from  me."  We  did  not,  in- 
deed, obtain  but  one  really  instructive  piece  of  inform- 
ation from  the  rising  generation,  and  that  was  from  a 
bright  boy  of  twelve  summers,  who,  in  response  to  our 
enquiries  replied  with  a  glow  of  sentiment :  "  Brigham 
Young  was  my  grandfather,  but  he  was  an  awful 
scoundrel." 


CHAPTEE  XII. 
IN  PURSUIT  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 

The  visitor  who  tarries  at  Salt  Lake  City  for  any 
considerable  length  of  time  discovers  upon  close  obser- 
vation and  careful  study,  a  dual  condition.  The  one 
phase  is  so  unlike  the  other,  he  is  almost  persuaded 
that  two  distinct  cities  occupy  the  same  ground. 
The  exterior  one  is  the  pride  of  both  citizen  and 
tourist.  Of  the  other  we  will  speak  with  cau- 
tion; still  it  exists  and  for  convenience  might  be 
called  indoor  as  distinguished  from  outdoor  Mormon- 
dom.  Very  few  tourists,  owing  to  the  difficulties  and 
uncertainties  attending  the  undertaking,  enter  its  for- 
bidding labyrinths.  They  are  as  a  rule  content  to 
view  the  mammoth  buildings  of  "  the  saints,"  watch 
the  flowing  streams  that  bound  their  broad  avenues,  or 
regale  the  senses  upon  the  sweet  odors  of  their  floral 
gardens ;  but  to  enter  the  precincts  of  the  less  material 
city  within,  and  study  its  make-up,  there  seems  little 
disposition.  But  to  the  writer  the  indoor  exhibition 
has  proved  quite  as  interesting  if  not  so  meritorious. 

The  reader  may  infer  that  I  have  been  exploring 
the  mysteries  of  the  "  Endowment  house "  and  the 
Freemasonry  of  Mormonism.  Nothing  of  the  kind; 
but  rather  the  more  vital  mysteries  of  their  creed  and 
its  influence  on  social  and  domestic  life.  Despite  the 
perplexities  of  the  undertaking  it  seemed  desirable 

186 


IN   PURSUIT   OF   KNOWLEDGE.  187 

to  catch  a  glimpse,  if  possible,  of  the  inspiring  and 
controlling  forces  behind  the  fair  outside  and  learn 
something  of  indoor  Mormonism.  Surely  such  a  great 
institution  with  such  colossal  and  costly  structures, 
attractive  exteriors  and  magnificent  environments  must 
have  some  grand  purpose  or  high  mission — some  great 
truth  or  sublime  thought — to  offer.  This  was  what  I 
was  anxious  to  study — the  intellectual  animus — the 
mode  of  thinking — the  highest  thought — in  a  word  the 
soul  of  Mormonism.  Without  detailing  the  difficulties 
in  the  way  of  one's  efforts  to  probe  for  the  supposed 
treasure,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  no  opportunity  was 
neglected  to  interview  dignitaries  of  the  church  of 
"  The  Saints,"  in  order  to  get  at  the  true  inwardness 
of  the  Mormon  theocracy  and  the  source  of  its  inspira- 
tion. 

The  first  officer  interviewed  was  freely  communi- 
cative and  fully  prepared  to  unfold  the  history  and 
doctrines  of  the  sect,  but  unfortunately  so  entirely 
averse  to  hearing  anyone  talk  but  himself  that  ques- 
tions received  but  scant  consideration.  This  first  tedi- 
ous and  profitless  interview  was  supplemented  by  others 
equally  fruitless,  so  far  as  concerned  the  end  desired. 
Yet  all  might  be  considered  instructive  as  presenting 
different  phases  of  Mormon  character  and  showing  up 
the  mental  calibre  of  the  Mormon  hierarchy,  in  neither 
of  which  was  anything  specially  refreshing  to  be  de- 
tected, unless  it  were  a  certain  passing  civility  and 
plausible  manner  of  discourse.  Recent  events  have 
seemed  to  make  Mormons  unusually  suspicious.  Hav- 
ing accomplished  nothing  to  the  purpose  thus  far,  it 


188  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE    WEST. 

occurred  to  me  that  I  had  better  try  one  of  the  Evan- 
gelists, of  whose  whereabouts  I  had  been  apprised, 
knowing  that  if  I  posed  as  a  seeker  for  light  his  pe- 
culiar mission  would  necessitate  a  considerate  regard 
for  my  enquiries,  especially  if  presented  in  the  form 
of  doubts  and  perplexities.  I  had,  therefore,  renewed 
confidence  in  my  enterprise  and  with  good  courage 
called  at  his  place.  Here  I  was  welcomed  by  a  really 
creditable  representative  of  his  order,  judging  from 
appearances.  After  certain  preliminary  conversation, 
in  which  I  was  careful  to  preserve  the  mood  of  one  in 
sympathy  with  his  surroundings,  I  observed:  "  Now, 

Mr.  E ,  you  have,  without  doubt,  already  detected 

that  I  am  a  Gentile,  and  somewhat  in  the  dark  as  to 
your  doctrines  and  practices.  Being  a  reverent  searcher 
after  truth,  I  feel  special  interest  in  this  subject,  and 
have  a  great  desire  to  know  more  about  Mormonism." 

In  a  tone  and  manner  indicating  that  he  was  at  my 
service,  the  evangelist,  who  seemed  to  be  fully  loaded 
for  the  occasion,  replied  : 

"  My  dear  sir,  I  can  fully  appreciate  your  attitude. 
It  is  just  what  mine  was  before  I  became  connected 
with  the  Mormon  Church.  I  never  condemed  anything 
without  a  hearing,  and  was  always  open  to  conviction. 
I  have  been  a  protestant,  a  Catholic,  an  infidel,  and, 
lastly,  a  Mormon  ;  and  even  to-day,  if  you  can  show 
me  that  science,  philosophy,  reason,  common-sense  and 
inspiration  are  not  all  in  support  of  Mormonism,  I  will 
renounce  it." 

"  But,  Mr.  B ,  you  understand  I  am  not  here  to 

convert  you  to  any  other  creed,  but  to  be  enlightened." 


190       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

Evangelist  :  "  Yes,  I  see  ;  everything  indicates 
this,  and  I  heartily  commend  the  attitude  you  take. 
Well,  I  will  say  Mormonism  is  the  exponent  of  all 
wisdom.  Nothing  ever  was  or  can  be  known,  more 
than  Mormonism  teaches.  It  embraces  all  of  past  and 
all  of  future  knowledge.  It  is  a  complete  system  of 
morality,  of  religion,  science,  ethics  and  philosophy, 
and  embraces  all  of  wisdom  past  and  future,  known  or 
knowable." 

Disciple:  "Well,  if  that's  so,  I  have  no  objections 
to  Mormonism ;  you  may  safely  count  on  another  con- 
vert. A  religion  that  embraces  those  features  is  good 
enough  for  me." 

Evangelist:  "  Yes,  and  I  will  go  further  (lighting 
up  with  new  enthusiasm) ;  if  you  can  show  me  any- 
thing in  the  Scriptures  that  is  anti-Mormon,  or  that 
I  can  not  show  to  be  consistent  with  or  explainable  by 
our  creed,  I  will  also  renounce  my  faith.1' 

Disciple:  "I  declare!  that's  strange  language. 
It  really  looks  as  if  you  Mormons  were  on  the  right 
track." 

Evangelist  :  "  Why  !  I  know  we  are.  Scripture 
says :  '  Ye  shall  know '  —  have  positive  assurance  — 
and  this  we  claim  to  have.  Take,  for  example,  even 
the  question  of  plural  marriage,  over  which  Christians 
have  raised  such  a  hullaballoo:  While  the  Old  and 
the  New  Testaments  do  not  deal  specifically  with  the 
matter,  what  is  said  is,  on  the  whole,  in  favor  of  the 
system.  As  Mr.  Stillman  said,  a  few  years  ago,  in 
Boston  [at  the  same  time  pointing  out  the  passage 
in  a  Mormon  tract  which  lay  on  the  table  and  which 


IN    PURSUIT   OF   KNOWLEDGE. 


191 


he  requested  me  to  keep] :  '  There  is  not  a  single  pre- 
cept in  the  book  known  as  the  Holy  Bible,  supposed 
by  Christians  to  be  the  inspired  word  of  God  and  the 


SEEKING     INFORMATION. 


rule  of  conduct  for  all  mankind,  wherein  the  institu- 
tion of  polygamy  is  denounced  or  even  spoken  of  with 
disapprobation.' ' 

Disciple  :    "  But  in  this  day  and  age  of  the  world, 


192       GBAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

do  you  think  it  advisable  for  one  to  take  upon  his 
hands  more  than  one  wife  ?  Is  this  really  the  best 
solution  of  the  marriage  question?" 

Evangelist:  "I  can  answer  that  to  your  utmost 
satisfaction,  and  you  will  say  I  am  right.  You  know, 
if  you  are  posted  in  this  matter,  that  more  females 
reach  the  age  of  twenty  than  males.  The  former  are 
not  so  much  exposed  —  are  not  subjected  to  so  many 
hazards.  According  to  the  Massachusetts  reports,  we 
find  twenty-one  per  cent,  more  females  than  males. 
You  understand  that  war  and  such  causes  sweep  off 
the  male  population.  Besides  this,  men  do  not  marry 
as  readily  as  women.  Business,  vice,  love  of  freedom 
and  other  causes  deter  men  from  matrimony.  So  that 
many  (I  might,  perhaps,  say  most)  do  not  marry  till 
from  thirty  to  thirty-five,  and  very  many  not  till  thirty- 
eight  or  forty;  while  women  are  eligible  at  twenty, 
and  most  women  are  married  at  twenty-five,  if  at  all. 
All  in  all,  there  are  two  females  eligible  to  marriage 
to  one  male,  and  the  only  way  the  former  can  be  prop- 
erly cared  for  is  by  our  system  of  plural  marriage. 
Mormons  do  not  often  have  more  than  two  wives. 
Some  have  three  or  four,  and  even  as  high  as  seven 
and  eight.  Brigham  Young  really  had  but  eighteen, 
though  more  than  this  has  been  attributed  to  him. 
The  one  that  made  him  so  much  trouble  was  probably 
never  duly  confirmed.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  hus- 
band, in  many  cases,  is  little  more  than  a  curator  of 
those  who  are  placed  under  his  protection  as  wives. 
Our  plural  system  of  marriage  is  veritably  a  benign 
provision  of  our  religion,  since  it  cares  for  those  who 


IN   PURSUIT    OF   KNOWLEDGE.  193 

would  otherwise  be  thrown  upon  the  world  defense- 
less and  helpless." 

Disciple  :  "  Well,  really,  it's  hard  for  women  to  be 
left  to  the  world's  doubtful  mercy,  and  in  this  view  it 
would  seem  that  a  man,  to  be  '  square  '  with  the  female 
race,  should  be  a  Mormon.  But  I  have  read  statistics 
that  show,  taking  the  country  as  a  whole,  both  west 
and  east,  that  the  number  of  men  about  equals  that  of 
women  ;  and  I  am  told  that  here  in  Utah  there  are 
fully  as  many  men  as  women,  and  that,  of  the  two,  the 
men  are  more  anxious  to  get  wives  than  the  women  are 
to  get  husbands.  Now  when  several  thousand  polyga- 
mists  get  two  or  more  wives  and  the  priests  and  elders 
of  the  church  get  five  or  six  (or  perhaps  ten  or  a 
dozen)  of  the  most  eligible  of  the  females,  really  isn't 
it  some  of  the  men  that  are  going  to  get  left  out  in  the 
cold  ?  " 

Seeing  that  my  expounder  of  the  faith  looked 
puzzled,  I  continued  : 

"  But  is  the  paragon  of  domestic  felicity  attained 
by  this  practice  ?  I  should  suppose  a  man's  wife 
would  recalcitrate,  or  *  kick,'  as  the  boys  say,  when  she 
sees  another  woman  coming  into  the  house." 

Evangelist  :  "  Well,  I  can  tell  you  about  that" 
[recovering  his  original  self-possession].  "Formerly 
it  was  necessary  to  get  the  consent  of  the  first  wife, 
and  all  preceding,  when  a  new  one  was  taken  ;  but 
now,  on  account  of  the  persecutions  to  which  Mormons 
are  being  subjected,  the  church  sanctions  marriages 
without  the  consent  of  previous  wives.  In  many  cases, 
indeed,  the  first  or  antecedent  wives  know  nothing  of 
13 


194  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

the  existence  of  others  taken  later.  For  example,  I 
have  now  in  mind  a  man  in  this  city  who  has  a  wife 
here,  one  in  Provo,  and  still  another  at  another  place, 
and  not  one  of  these  knows  of  the  existence  of  the 
others.  The  church  now  sanctions  these  concealed 
unions  on  account  of  its  persecutions.  A  jealous  wife, 
for  instance,  might  make  disclosures  which  would  sub- 
ject the  innocent  husband  to  the  penalties  of  unright- 
eous laws." 

Disciple  :  "  Do  you  think  the  Edmunds  law  of 
1882,  and  the  still  more  stringent  Edmunds-Tucker 
law  of  1887,  are  materially  affecting  polygamy?  From 
reports  it  would  seem  that  these  federal  enactments 
had  crowded  Mormons  rather  hard." 

Evangelist:  "In  one  sense  they  have,  perhaps, 
since,  after  the  passage  of  these  laws  a  large  number 
of  the  most  conscientious  Mormons,  including  a  good 
many  high  officers  of  the  church,  rather  than  be  un- 
true to  their  convictions  and  to  escape  persecution, 
fled  from  the  country,  or  at  least  retired  from  this  city. 
There  are,  however,  temporary  set-backs  to  all  true 
religious  progress,  but  in  our  case  these  reverses  are 
more  apparent  than  real.  You  see,  Gentiles  are  not 
in  a  position  to  know  the  actual  state  of  things.  As  I 
said  before,  concealed  marriages  are  now  permitted, 
and  really  our  cause  is  going  right  on,  only  less 
openly." 

Seeing,  on  the  part  of  my  instructor  a  little  show 
of  reluctance  to  talk  on  these  delicate  topics,  and  fear- 
ing that  I  was  prying  too  much  into  family  affairs  for 


IN    PURSUIT    OF    KNOWLEDGE. 


195 


the  success  of  my  experiment,  I  turned  the  subject  by 
observing : 

"Now,  professor,  when  quite  a  young  boy  I  remem- 
ber of  reading  with  great  interest  the  original  revela- 
tion of  Joseph  Smith,  or  a  part  of  it  at  least,  and  I 
think  it  said  somewhere  that  a  man  should  have  only 
one  wife." 


THE    TEMPLE. 

Evangelist:  "Exactly!  It  says:  'There  shall 
not  any  man  among  you  have  save  it  be  one  wife, 
and  concubines  he  shall  have  none;  for  I,  the  Lord 
God,  delighteth  in  the  chastity  of  woman.'  But  under- 
stand this  was  all  done  away  with  by  the  later  revela- 
tion, authorizing  plural  marriage." 


196  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE   WEST. 

Disciple:  "I  know;  so  I  had  heard.  But  when 
the  later  revelation  came  out,  you  know  the  people 
made  a  great  fuss  about  it,  and  said  they  would  not 
accept,  as  it  contradicted  the  first  revelation,  and  they 
thought  it  scandalous.  When  Brigham  Young  and 
Joseph  Smith  saw  what  an  uproar  the  new  doctrine 
was  creating,  you  know  they  came  out  and  publicly 
declared  that  no  such  new  revelation  had  been  received 
authorizing  polygamy." 

Evangelist:  "  I  see  your  difficulty  and  will  explain. 
When  the  second  revelation  was  made,  enjoining  celes- 
tial marriage,  it  was  seen  by  the  president  and  his 
counselors  that  the  people  were  not  prepared  for  the 
new  doctrine,  and  hence  it  seemed  advisable  to  keep 
the  new  revelation  concealed  until  the  people  could  be 
educated  to  it." 

Disciple:  "  But  was  it  right  for  Brigham  Young 
to  tell  the  people  that  no  such  revelation  had  been 
received  when  it  was  found  unpopular?  " 

Evangelist:  "  Most  assuredly !  Anything  is  right 
that  enhances  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  We  have  this 
revelation:  '  Under  certain  circumstances  the  Lord 
allows  the  priesthood  to  lie  in  order  to  save  his  peo- 
ple.' It  is  as  when  parents  deceive  their  children  when 
they  seek  to  know  things  unsuited  to  their  age,  don't 
you  see?" 

Disciple  :  "  Well,  Mr.  K ,  you  are  posted  to  a 

letter  on  your  religion.  I  certainly  couldn't  have  hit 
upon  any  one  better  able  to  enlighten  me.  But,  can- 
didly, wouldn't  it  seem  that  the  Lord  ought  not  to 
have  given  the  revelation  until  the  people  were  ready 


IN   PUESUIT   OF   KNOWLEDGE. 


197 


THE    TABERNACLE. 

for  it  ?  Then  the  priests  and  elders  wouldn't  have  been 
placed  under  the  necessity  of  telling  any  lies." 

Evangelist:  "  But  we  can  not  question  the  motives 
of  the  Almighty,  and  it  is  not  for  us  to  pass  judgment 
upon  his  methods.  His  ways  are  not  our  ways." 

Disciple  :  "  But  I  would  like  to  inquire  a  little 
further,  if  I  am  not  encroaching  too  much  upon  your 
time," 


198  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

Evangelist:  "  Certainly  not.  This  is  my  business, 
and  I  am  only  too  glad  to  have  questions  asked  and 
see  people  interested  in  our  religion.  What  had  you 
specially  in  mind  ?  " 

Disciple  :  "At  the  time  of  the  reformation  in  '55 
and  '56  you  know  it's  a  matter  of  history  that  young 
girls  of  a  dozen  years  of  age  were  enticed  or  forced  to 
marry ;  that  women  were  divorced  and  remarried  almost 
daily,  and  that  even  the  elders  and  others  in  high 
official  rank  exchanged  wives,  or  what  amounted  to  that 
— the  divorce  from  one  meaning  marriage  to  another. 
Now  the  question  is  :  Does  the  church  of  to-day 
approve  of  such  things  ?  I  am  told  there  is  nothing 
in  your  code  that  even  prevents  a  father  from  marry- 
ing his  own  daughter,  and  that  a  man  often  does  marry 
a  mother  and  her  daughter  or  two  sisters,  and  that 
there  is  one  case  here  where  a  man  actually  married 
three  generations — daughter,  mother  and  grandmother. 
How  about  these  things — are  they  considered  proper 
now  ?  " 

Evangelist  :  "  These  things  have  been  exagger- 
ated; but  so  long  as  all  marriages  and  divorces  have 
to  be  confirmed  by  the  church  and  thus  receive  the 
sanction  of  the  Almighty,  there  can  be  no  danger  of 
going  wrong  in  these  matters.  Our  ideas  of  morality 
and  right  must  not  be  set  up  against  those  of  the 
Almighty.  This  is  a  common  error.  The  Lord  estab- 
lishes the  conditions  of  right  and  wrong.  We  have 
nothing  to  do  with  this." 

Disciple  :     "  Well  !   upon   my  word,    professor,   I 


IN    PURSUIT    OF    KNOWLEDGE. 


199 


BEE  HIVE  HOUSE. 

never  saw  a  man  clear  up  dark  spots  in  the  way  you 
do.     Do  you  think  I  would  make  a  good  Mormon  ?  " 

Evangelist :  "Most  assuredly,  and  if  you  wish  to 
join- 
Disciple  :  "  But  one  word,  doctor,  while  I  think  of 
it.  You  know  Joseph  Smith  received  two  revelations 
—the  first  prohibiting  polygamy,  the  second  permit- 
ting it.  Now,  was  the  first  revelation  a  bogus  one  ? 
Of  course,  one  or  the  other  of  these  revelations  must 
have  been  a  false  one,  since,  when  two .  things  contra- 
dict each  other,  only  one  can  be  true.  In  one  case  it 
says  it  is  not  lawful  to  have  more  than  one  wife,  in  the 


200  GllAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

other  it  says  it  is  lawful  ;  so  that  it  must  be  Smith 
was  not  inspired  on  one  or  the  other  of  these  occasions. 
How  is  that  ?  " 

Evangelist :  "  Here  is  where  our  adversaries  fall 
into  a  gross  error.  The  original  revelation  was  given 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  was  just  as  truly  inspired  as 
the  second  one,  but  when  a  new  revelation  is  made 
contradicting  a  former  one,  the  new  supplants  the  old 
— a  new  dispensation  is  inaugurated  and  former  things 
are  no  more." 

Disciple:  "Really,  doctor,  I  am  surprised  at  your 
facility  in  straightening  out  these  difficulties  ;  but  it 
does  seem  that  the  Almighty,  who  sees  the  end  from 
the  beginning,  would  have  had  the  discretion  not  to 
spring  a  doctrine  upon  his  people  so  prematurely,  and 
thus  stir  up  so  much  bad  blood  among  them." 

THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  GODS. 

Evangelist :  "  Ah  !  here  is  where  you  stumble  by 
not  understanding  the  mystery  of  creation  and  the 
nature  of  the  Gods.  We  believe  in  the  eternity  of 
matter,  the  transmission  of  spirits,  the  evolution  of 
spirit  from  refined  matter,  and  in  one  sense  a  plurality 
of  Gods.  When  you  come  to  understand  these  mys- 
teries you  will  not  raise  such  questions.  Further,  we 
have  a  doctrine  which  might  be  termed  '  The  develop- 
ment of  the  Gods.'  An  understanding  of  this  doctrine 
would  especially  clear  up  this  difficulty." 

Reflecting  to  myself  that  gods  who  do  such  things 
ought  to  be  further  developed,  or  rather,  radically 
reformed,  I  continued  the  inquest  —  all  the  while 


202  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

maintaining  a  spirit  of  entire  satisfaction  with  his  eru- 
dition— though  constantly  troubled  by  some  new  and 
unexplained  difficulty. 

Disciple  :     "But  Mr.  E ,  here  is  a  thing  that 

greatly  bothers  me.  Scripture  says  (and  you  tell  me 
this  is  authority  with  you)  that  *  God  can  not  lie.'  Now 
if  he  is  this  infallible  and  righteous  Being  supposed, 
it  would  really  seem  that  he  could  not  be  so  thought- 
less as  to  give  his  beloved  priesthood  a  revelation  that 
would  necessitate  their  violating  his  commandments. 
It  also  says  :  '  There  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  it 
(the  kingdom  of  heaven)  anything  that  defileth,  neither 
whatsoever  worketh  abomination  or  maketh  a  lie,'  and 
'All  liars  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake'  and  so 
forth.  Now,  in  all  candor,  professor,  does  it  seem 
right  to  you  that  the  Almighty  should  place  his  ser- 
vants in  a  position  where  they  were  forced  to  lie,  and 
then  mete  out  terrible  punishment  to  them  hereafter 
for  so  doing  ?  " 

Evangelist  :  [With  sudden  emphasis]  "  But  you 
see  we  are  no  judges  of  these  mysteries.  Probably  all 
falsehoods  told  for  his  glory  will  be  forgiven  in  the 
next  world.  You  see  we  ought  not  to  talk  about  things 
so  far  beyond  us." 

Disciple  :  "  Well,  doctor,  I  want  to  study  this  a 
little  more.  I  am  not  quite  clear.  You  understand  I 
don't  wish  to  be  hasty  and  would  like  to  give  the  sub- 
ject more  thought.  Now  as  I  have  taken  up  a  good 
deal  of  your  time  I  wish  to  express  my  great  gratitude 
for  your  pains  and  the  instructive  information  you 
have  imparted." 


IN    PURSUIT    OF    KNOWLEDGE. 


203 


So  saying,  I  took  friendly  leave  of  the  voluble,  but 
not  over  discreet,  yet  thoroughly  indoctrinated  Evan- 
gel, who,  at  the  same  time,  handed  forth  a  number  of 
tracts  that  would  enable  me  to  become  a  Mormon  on 
an  approved  plan. 

Such  are  the  sophistries  and  absurdities  of  Mor- 
monism.  A  religious  sect  that  reduces  the  supreme 
being  to  the  low  intellectual  and  moral  level  of  a  men- 
dacious and  dissolute  human  nature  is  certainly  not 
too  good  to  reduce  woman  to  the  basest  slavery,  or  too 
patriotic  to  array  itself  in  opposition  to  wholesome 
moral  restraints  and  in  defiance  of  just  laws. 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

STATEHOOD  FOR  UTAH. 

In  my  effort  to  study  the  influence  of  the  "  Mormon 
idea"  on  the  home,  I  have  found  everything  so 
pledged  to  secrecy  that  nothing  very  demonstrative 
could  be  gathered  from  actual  -  observation.  Hence, 
nearly  all  the  information  gleaned  in  this  direction  has 
been  from  the  testimony  of  others.  For  this  reason  I 
have  no  desire  to  detail  the  uncanny  revelations  of 
Mormon  domestic  life  ;  but  if  half  the  stories  of  the 
agony  and  heartburn  of  Mormon  wives  and  mothers  be 
true,  and  there  is  much  reason  to  believe  the  half  has 
not  been  told,  we  can  not  wonder  at  the  righteous  in- 
dignation which  prompted  Miss  Carmichael  to  say,  '  If 
I  were  a  man  as  I  am  a  woman,  I  would  stand  in  the 
halls  of  congress  and  cry  aloud  for  the  miserable 
women  of  Utah  till  the  world  should  hear  and  know 
the  wrongs  and  miseries  of  polygamy." 

But  one  of  the  most  significant  specimens  of  "in- 
door "  Mormonism  is  the  recent  clamor  for  statehood. 
This  scheme  was  started  over  two  years  ago,  and  in 
spite  of  all  the  discouragements  and  set-backs  which 
their  cause  has  received,  the  Mormon  leaders  seem  as 
noisy  as  ever  for  "  equality  of  rights "  among  the 
states.  The  average  Mormon  is  especially  insistant 
about  having  his  "rights,"  but  none  have  yet  been 
discovered  who  were  willing  to  receive  their  just  de- 

204 


STATEHOOD    FOE    UTAH. 


205 


serts.      Their   "rights"   being   generally    defined  by 
revelation  from  on  high,  are  dangerous  to  trifle  with. 

Some  features    of  this  movement  for  getting    into 
the  union  are  most  remarkable  and  worthy  of  study. 


206       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

Since  the  passage  of  the  Edmunds  law  Mormons  have 
found  themselves  too  closely  crowded  for  comfort  and 
have  become  extremely  apprehensive  for  the  safety  of 
their  cherished  creed.  In  this  dilemma  a  new  idea 
struck  the  Mormon  camp  like  one  of  Jove's  fresh- 
forged  thunderbolts.  It  seemed  to  occur  to  the  whole 
body  politic  of  Mormondom,  all  at  once,  at  a  bound 
and  without  warning,  that  the  territory  must  be  con- 
verted into  a  state  and  this  without  delay.  It  was 
whispered  around  among  the  "  saints  ":  "  We  will  be 
better  off  as  a  state  than  under  the  present  territorial 
laws  that  so  interfere  with  our  '  rights.'  We  can  then 
elect  our  own  governor  and  dictate  more  or  less  as  to 
our  judges  and  juries  and  control  nearly  all  the  offices 
of  power  ;  and  then  these  accursed  Gentiles  can't 
make  us  so  much  trouble.  Yes,  statehood  !  that's  the 
thing — that  will  help  us  out — that's  the  best  thing 
devised  yet  and  we'll  have  it  or  die." 

So,  without  discussing  the  matter  through  the  press 
or  in  any  way  advising  with  the  non-Mormon  element, 
they  organized  a  "People's  party,"  and,  like  the  tra- 
ditional spider,  invited  the  Democrats  and  Eepublicans 
of  the  Gentile  persuasion  to  join  them  in  their  efforts 
to  secure  statehood  for  Utah.  But  the  motives  of  the 
scheme  were  too  patent  and  their  proposal  was  as  prompt- 
ly rejected  as  it  had  been  suddenly  conceived.  The  Gen- 
tile committees  of  both  parties  also  had  the  courage  to 
offer  in  their  replies  to  the  bold  proposition  of  their 
presumptuous  opponents  a  few  well-directed  sugges- 
tions and  as  many  more  instructive  reflections  on  their 
course  and  conduct.  But  an  "all- wool"  Mormon  is 


STATEHOOD    FOR    UTAH. 


207 


AMELIA    PALACE 


never  silenced  when  his  "  rights  "  are  at  stake.  Not- 
withstanding the  poor  consolation  which  the  cause  thus 
received  at  home  and  the  scant  encouragement  it  has 
since  had  from  the  federal  government,  these  religio- 
political  operators  still  persist,  fully  convinced  that 
statehood  is  the  only  feasible  way  out  of  their  dilemma. 
The  constitution  which  they  drafted  to  be  operative 


208       GEAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

in  the  new  state  is,  like  their  creed,  full  of  puzzles  and 
perplexities.  The  article  on  polygamy  is  especially 
deserving  of  the  attention  of  political  economists.  At 
one  fell  stroke  of  a  pen  ("divinely  guided,"  I  suppose) 
this  solemn  declaration  is  put  on  record  : 

"Bigamy  and  polygamy  being  considered  incom- 
patible with  a  republican  form  of  government,  each  of 
them  is  hereby  forbidden  and  declared  a  misdemeanor." 

What  could  be  more  unexpected  and  confounding 
than  this  ?  That  Mormons,  who  have  been  so  unyield- 
ing in  this  matter  for  forty  years,  should  come  out  with 
such  a  declaration!  Astonishing!  Does  this  really 
mean  the  dawn  of  reformation  in  Utah  ?  But  before  we 
become  entirely  lost  in  bewilderment,  let  us  examine 
a  little  and  be  assured  that  the  Mormon  sage  has  not 
worked  in  his  usual  trap-door  attachment. 

"  Bigamy  and  polygamy  ! "  what  do  they  mean  ? 
It  just  occurs  that  when  the  writer  used  these  terms 
when  interviewing  the  priesthood,  they  were  almost 
invariably  repeated  by  the  latter  in  such  expressions 
as  "  plural  marriage  "  or  "  celestial  marriage."  The 
evangelist  even  took  the  pains  to  politely  explain  that 
they  did  not  call  the  taking  of  more  than  one  wife 
polygamy,  but  plural  marriage.  The  Mormon  notion 
of  polygamy  is  the  marriage  of  two  or  more  wives 
without  the  sanction  of  the  church  ;  but  when  con- 
firmed by  the  priest  (and  hence  by  heaven)  the  mar- 
riage to  more  than  one  woman  is  simply  "  plural "  or 
"celestial" — or  as  sometimes  termed  "patriarchal." 
So  when  they  make  declarations  against  bigamy  and 
polygamy  they  evidently  mean  that  they  are  in  favor 


STATEHOOD    FOR    UTAH. 


209 


of  punishing  "  outsiders "  who  have  more  than  one 
wife.  I  don't  find  anything  in  their  constitution  about 
punishing  the  act  of  "  plural  "  or  "  celestial  "  marriage 


LION'S   HEAD    ROCK,    GREAT   SALT   LAKE. 

Even  bigamy  and  polygamy,  as  they  use  the  terms, 
are  seemingly  less  grave  offenses  than  commonly  sup- 
posed, since  they  reduce  them  from  crimes  or  felonies 
(as  treated  in  all  the  states)  to  misdemeanors.  Hence 


210  GKAPHIC    SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

even  these,  while  punishable  as  misdemeanors,  would 
not  debar  their  perpetrators  from  the  right  to  vote  and 
hold  office — thus  nullifying  the  Edmunds  act.  This, 
to  all  appearances,  is  one  of  their  trap-door  arrange- 
ments. There  are,  however,  those  who  claim  that  it  is 
not  in  order  to  pass  judgment  on  the  intentions  of  the 
committee  in  reference  to  bigamy  and  polygamy.  In 
the  absence  of  actual  knowledge,  say  they,  these  terms 
must  be  construed  in  the  usual  sense. 

But  how  much  does  this  better  the  situation  ? 
Assume  that  these  terms  in  the  ambiguous  document 
refer  to  "  plural  marriage."  We  then  have  the  charm- 
ing attitude  of  a  people  declaring  against  one  of  the 
fundamental  doctrines  of  their  creed  and  pronouncing 
it  a  misdemeanor  at  the  same  time  that  they  hold  it  as 
a  divine  revelation,  teach  it  from  their  pulpits,  practice 
it  in  defiance  of  law  and  vehemently  denounce  the 
government  for  interfering  with  their  belief.  Surely 
"  he  who  laughs  last  laughs  best,"  when  analyzing  a 
Mormon's  declaration  of  principles.  In  this  charitable 
view  of  Mormon  intentions,  their  church  articles  and 
convention  resolutions  furnish  most  intoxicating  pabu- 
lum for  thought.  For  example,  one  of  their  public 
documents  says  : 

"  Among  the  principles  of  our  religion  is  that  of 
immediate  revelation  from  God;  one  of  the  doctrines 
so  revealed  is  celestial  or  plural  marriage,  for  which 
ostensibly  we  are  stigmatized  and  hated.  This  is  a 
vital  part  of  our  religion,  the  decision  of  the  courts 
n  otwith  standing. ' ' 

Again,  in  a  late  address  of  the  church,  it  is  de- 


STATEHOOD    FOR    UTAH. 


211 


TRAMWAY    IN  LITTLE  COTTONWOOD   CAFTON. 

clared  :  "  We  can  not,  at  the  behest  of  men,  lay  asida 
those  great  principles  which  God  has  communicated 
to  us,  nor  violate  those  sacred  and  eternal  covenants 
which  we  have  entered  into  for  time  and  eternity." 
The  chief  and  essential  one  of  these  "great  principles" 
and  "  eternal  covenants,"  which  all  full-stock  Mor- 
mons have  "  entered  into  for  time  and  eternity,"  is  po- 
lygamy or  "  celestial "  marriage,  which  is  declared  to 


212  GEAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF   THE   WEST. 

be  a  "  vital  part "  of  their  religion.  This  "  vital  part  " 
of  their  religion  they  now  pronounce  a  misdemeanor. 
Was  there  ever  such  an  anomaly?  This  surely  can 
not  be  the  intent  of  the  committee,  for  a  full-fledged 
Mormon  would  hardly  be  expected  to  proclaim  his 
favorite  dogma  a  misdemeanor.  Still  public  senti- 
ment is  divided  on  this  point,  and  there  seems  to  be 
no  way  to  settle  the  question  except  by  giving  the 
Mormons  statehood,  when  the  solons  of  Utah  will 
be  ready  and  willing  to  interpret  their  mysterous 
oracles. 

But  one  other  circumstance  favoring  the  explana- 
tion first  given  is,  that  no  one  half-tutored  in  Mormon 
conjury  ever  suspects  a  "saint"  politician  of  using 
English  in  its  usual  or  accepted  sense  when  referring 
to  polygamy,  or  anything  else  in  which  he  attempts  to 
pledge  himself  or  party  to  fair  dealing  or  correct 
living. 

Another  peculiar  feature  of  this  strange  document 
is  its  painful  silence  on  the  subject  of  "  unlawful 
cohabitation."  Nearly  all  the  arrests  and  convictions 
thus  far  made  have  been  for  this  offense,  on  account  of 
the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  proving  the  crime  of 
polygamy  —  all  marriages  being  performed  in  the 
church  without  witnesses  and  by  priests  pledged  to 
secrecy.  Strange  that  earnest  Mormons,  anxious  for 
the  suppression  of  these  unhallowed  practices,  should 
have  omitted  to  provide  penalties  for,  or  even  pro- 
nounce against,  this  offense — especially  since  it  has 
proved  almost  the  only  avenue  through  which  suc- 
cessful prosecution  has  been  made.  It  is  hard  to 


STATEHOOD    FOE   UTAH.  213 

escape  the  conviction  that  this  omission  is  also  one  of 
their  "trap-doors." 

In  another  place  in  their  constitution  these  astute 
diplomats  have  inserted  a  provision  that  the  grade  of 
the  offense — polygamy — shall  not  be  raised  above  that 
in  the  instrument,  namely,  a  misdemeanor.  This  pro- 
tects the  derelict  Mormon  for  all  time,  so  that  he  may 
vote  and  hold  office,  whatever  betides  him  in  his  vicious 
career.  It  is  hard  to  understand  how  patriots  of  the 
"People's  party,"  posing  as  anti-polygamists,  should 
go  so  far  out  of  their  way  to  secure  such  a  signal  ad- 
vantage for  their  opponents.  It  must  be  this  is 
another  of  their  trap-doors. 

The  committee  who  framed  this  new  constitution 
for  Utah  is  alleged ,  to  be  made  up  of  monogamous 
Mormons,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  thought  by  some 
that  honesty  of  purpose  characterizes  their  fair  profes- 
sions. But  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  there  is 
not  so  much  difference  at  heart  between  a  monogamist 
Mormon  and  one  of  plural  or  "  celestial  "  propensities. 
All  polygamists  were  once  monogamists,  and  the 
monogamist  of  to-day  may  decide  to  take  to  himself  an 
extra  help-meet  to-morrow.  It  is  well  known  here 
that  the  monogamists,  as  a  class,  uphold  and  connive 
at  the  doings  of  the  polygamists;  are  working  in  their 
interest  and  in  the  cherished  hope  of  restoring  their 
leaders  from  exile,  and  seeing  them  returned  to  power. 
The  Mormon  hierarchy  would  be  in  sorry  plight 
indeed  without  this  grimalkin's  paw.  But  all  the 
plausibility  which  the  scheme  possesses  from  its  be- 
ing pushed  by  this  element  of  the  church,  vanishes 


214  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE   WEST. 

wlien  it  is  understood  that  the  latter  maintains  the 
same  belief  in  regard  to  those  "  sacred  and  eternal 
covenants"  held  by  their  polygamous  brethren;  that 
they  affiliate  with  them;  champion  their  cause  on  the 
sly,  and  in  various  ways  labor  to  carry  out  their  be- 
hests and  strengthen  the  power  of  the  church  by 
secretly  nurturing  the  "  essential  part "  of  its  creed. 
Added  to  this  is  the  suspicion  which  must  necessarily 
attach  to  the  intents  and  motives  of  a  body  of  repre- 
sentative (?)  men  who  would  indite  so  incoherent  and 
ambiguous  a  document  as  the  "new  constitution."  No 
one  here  versed  in  Mormon  legerdemain  is  at  all  mis- 
led or  in  the  least  puzzled  to  decipher  the  purpose  and 
purport  of  their  fair-faced  declarations. 

But  it  is  asked:  To  what  extent  is  polygamy  now 
practiced  in  Utah?  This  is  a  difficult  question  to 
answer  definitely,  since  opinion  is  so  divided.  If  we 
accept  the  version  of  the  Mormon  evangelist,  who  so 
freely  discussed  the  religion  and  practice  of  the 
church,  of  which  I  gave  an  account  in  the  last  chapter, 
it  would  appear  that  the  Edmunds  law  is  doing  little 
more  than  to  induce  privacy  in  the  unlawful  practice. 
Still  there  was  the  plain  inference  that  their  cause  had 
received  a  set-back,  which  in  his  view  was  only  one  of 
those  temporary  reverses  incident  to  true  religious 
progress.  There  can  be  no  rational  doubt  that  polyg- 
amy is  practiced  clandestinely  and  to  a  wide  extent. 
The  Edmunds  law  has  nevertheless  accomplished 
much  —  indeed,  has  so  demoralized  the  file  and  rank 
of  the  Mormon  cohorts  that  their  captains  and  com- 
manders are  badly  prostrated.  Their  commander-in- 


216  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

chief  found  it  so  hot  for  him  at  the  capital  that  he  fled 
from  the  country,  and  many  of  his  followers  followed 
suit.  Under  this  salutary  law  nearly  six  hundred 
indictments  were  made  from  the  time  of  its  passage  in 
1882  to  1887,  inclusive,  all  but  about  five  per  cent  of 
which  were  for  unlawful  cohabitation  —  the  five  per 
cent  being  for  polygamy.  About  half  of  these  indict- 
ments resulted  in  conviction.  Among  those  who 
have  taken  the  oath  to  abide  by  the  law,  it  is  believed 
that  a  great  part  have  lived  up  to  their  pledges. 
Others  who  would  not  take  the  oath  at  all,  and  who 
have  been  convicted  and  imprisoned  for  these  unlawful 
practices,  have  even  refused  all  offers  of  immunity 
from  punishment  on  condition  of  future  obedience  to 
the  law.  These  are  the  "holy  martyrs,"  or,  as  some 
call  them,  "holy  tearers." 

Of  all  the  pitiable  sights  in  this  country  the  most 
heart-rending  is  that  of  a  Mormon  martyr.  He  seems 
to  be  a  sort  of  nondescript  genus,  belonging  to  a  class 
of  men  who  are  "a  law  unto  themselves."  Denied  the 
object  of  his  lust,  he  walks  right  up  to  the  prison  door 
and  takes  his  place  in  the  dark  and  narrow  cell,  stiff- 
necked  and  stiff -backed,  refusing  to  compromise  his 
conscience  and  manhood  by  agreeing  to  be  a  law-abid- 
ing citizen.  What  a  heroic  example  of  fidelity  to 
principle  and  fealty  to  personal  conviction !  Poor  mar  • 
tyr  to  conscience!  Persecuted  in  an  enlightened  age 
for  refusing  to  give  up  his  libidinous  career  and  live  a 
life  of  respectability  and  honor!  If  it  wasn't  for  his 
conscience  the  government  and  he  could  deal  and  come 
to  amicable  terms.  But  conscience  forbids  the  martyr 


ECHO    CANON. 


218       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

to  abandon  one  of  the  most  degrading  practices  in  the 
category  of  crimes  and  commands  him  to  dethrone 
woman  from  her  high  estate,  debase  motherhood  and 
heap  Pandora's  box  high  with  mischief  to  the  rising 
generation.  This  is  what  puzzles  the  wdseacres.  There 
is  a  general  prejudice  in  this  country  against  interfer- 
ing with  a  man's  religion,  or  punishing  him  for  con- 
science sake.  This  is  where  the  Mormon  martyr  has 
all  the  way  been  at  an  advantage.  If  he  had  simply 
complained  of  being  abused  for  being  caught  at  his 
neighbor's  hen-roost  or  for  toting  off  his  neighbor's 
sheep  at  midnight,  the  case  could  have  been  disposed 
of  at  once.  But  instead,  it  has  been  the  case  of  a  man 
whose  conscience  forbade  him  to  forsake  the  "  hot-bed 
of  corruption "  in  which  he  wallowed  and  substitute 
therefor  a  clean  and  manly  life.  If  he  had  simply 
taken  the  ground  that  he  was  terribly  misused  and 
maltreated  for  practicing  the  less  flagrant  offences  of 
incendiarism  or  cruelty  to  animals;  or  had  he  even 
posed  as  a  picture  of  persecution  because  the  govern- 
ment wouldn't  allow  him  to  commit  rapine  and  murder, 
there  would  have  been  little  of  all  this  trouble  and 
perplexity.  But  when  a  man  sets  up  the  plea  of  con- 
science, even  though  it  be  for  the  devastation  of  human 
hearts  and  the  wreck  of  human  souls,  we  hear  the  cry: 
"Hands  off."  But  it  seems  that  the  government  is  be- 
coming of  late  more  and  more  disposed  to  deal  sum- 
marily with  these  bad  cases  of  conscience,  and  this  is 
what  spreads  such  consternation  throughout  the  Mor- 
mon ranks. 

Among  the  fruits  of  my  effort  to  study  Mormon 


220       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

character  —  especially  that  of  the  polygamists,  I  find, 
first,  that  they  must  be  credited  with  consistency. 
They  are  consistent  in  two  things  —  in  being  "  first, 
last  and  all  the  time  "  in  favor  of  having  all  the  wives 
they  want,  and  in  wanting  the  government  to  let  them 
have  their  own  way  about  it.  Second,  I  find  a  trace  of 
sincerity  —  they  sincerely  desire  to  be  allowed  free 
course  in  gratifying  their  depraved  lusts  and  low  am- 
bitions. Third,  they  are  not  hypocrites  —  so  far  as 
concerns  their  favorite  doctrine.  They  believe  in 
this  abomination,  and  instead  of  practicing  one  thing 
and  preaching  another,  they  come  boldly  forward  and 
proclaim  to  the  world  that  these  abominations  are  "  an 
essential  part  of  their  creed,"  and  that  they  have  en- 
tered into  them  "for  time  and  eternity."  No  hypoc- 
risy about  that!  The  average  monogamist  Mormon, 
perhaps,  shares  these  same  sentiments,  but  he  lacks 
the  sincerity  and  frankness  to  openly  avow  it.  Should 
he  later  decide  to  enter  the  blissful  state  of  celestial 
matrimony,  he  will  not  be  likely  to  revise  his  profes- 
sions in  the  midst  of  present  complications.  So, 
really,  the  three  redeeming  traits  mentioned  belong 
distinctively  to  the  polygamist. 

But  what  kind  of  people  are  these  Mormons  any- 
way? is  the  question  so  often  asked.  In  general  it 
may  be  answered :  About  ninety  per  cent  are  foreign- 
ers. Thus  far  the  writer  has  come  in  contact  with  few 
Americans  among  them.  Many  foreigners  come  to 
this  territory  to  avail  themselves  of  the  flattering 
promises  of  Mormonism  and  in  the  hope  of  bettering 


STATEHOOD    FOR    UTAH.  221 

their  condition.  About  one-half  of  the  sect  is  made 
up  of  the  subservient  vassals  of  the  church.  These 
are  in  the  main  ignorant,  superstitious  and  easily  im- 
posed upon,  everything  coming  from  the  priesthood 
being  to  them  law  and  gospel.  They  are,  as  a  rule, 
under  complete  subjection  to  the  hierarchy  and  go  and 
come  at  their  nod  and  beck.  Then  there  is  the  more 
intelligent  and  "  nothing-to-lose "  class,  who  have 
failed  in  business  or  religion,  or  both,  or  perhaps  in 
some  other  way  become  objects  of  suspicion  in  church 
and  society,  and  hence  are  ready  for  adventure.  These 
might  perhaps  be  fitly  designated  as  the  "  dead-beat " 
brigade.  They  are  far  less  profitable  than  the  vassals, 
being  less  useful  and  less  reliable.  Next  above  these 
comes  the  army  of  Mormon  officers,  such  as  the 
"  first  presidents,'1  "bishops,"  "high-priests,"  "sev- 
enties," "patriarchs,"  "apostles,"  and  the  like  —  con- 
stituting, all  told,  nearly  one-third  of  the  adult  popu- 
lation. They  are  the  leaders  and  men  of  influence. 
Some  of  them  are  fanatics  —  the  evangelist  that  I  in- 
terviewed, for  example  —  some,  bigots,  and  some  — 
well  —  yes  —  if  you  will  have  it  —  rascals.  "Bad 
men  will  get  into  the  church."  These  men  put  on 
long  faces,  and  wish  to  have  it  understood  that  they 
are  en  rapport  with  heaven.  The  fact  is,  their  infa- 
mous and  absurd  doctrines  come  from  the  other  direc- 
tion. They  complain  of  being  persecuted  and  pose  as 
martyrs  to  conscience.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  are 
simply  martyrs  to  lust  —  lust  for  power  and  lust  for 
woman,  The  spectacle  of  such  men  setting  up  the 


222 


GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 


plea  of  conscience  is  as  pathetic  as  that  of  a  wild  Af- 
rican boar  poring  over  the  leaves  of  a  prayer-book;  or 
that  of  a  bland  Florida  crocodile  posting  up  on  the 
"Westminster  catechism.  It's  difficult  to  say  which  is 
most  deserving  of  our  sympathy.  God  speed  the  day 
when  the  last  vestige  of  this  national  disgrace  shall 
be  wiped  out. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

FROM    THE    JORDAN    TO    THE 
UNCOMPAHGRE. 


On  leaving  the  scene  of  our 
recreations  and  study  at  Salt 
Lake,  the  question  arises  as  to 
the  most  advisable  route  east- 
ward, but  as  my  partner  had  no 
choice,  provided  he  did  not  have 
to  go  a-foot,  and  as  I  had  none, 
providing  we  took  the  Denver 
&  Eio  Grande,  the  matter  was 
quickly  and  peaceably  settled. 
The  forenoon  ride  was  through  a  rich  agricultural  re- 
gion along  the  valley  of  the  Jordan.  The  Mormons  are  as 

223 


V  I 


224       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

industrious  as  they  are  forbearing,  and  the  fruits  of  their 
persevering  toil  is  seen  in  rich  farm  lands  made  pro- 
ductive by  their  unremitting  efforts.  Our  journey  in 
this  cheerful  region  lay  between  the  Wasatch  range  at 
the  eastward,  and  the  Oquirrh  Mountains  at  the  west, 
while  in  the  vicinity  of  Provo,  lofty  Nebo  suggestively 
rises  above  his  neighbors  in  an  attitude  of  true  sub- 
limity. 

Having  taken  dinner  at  Provo,  the  eating  station, 
near  Utah  Lake,  we  are  soon  brought  to  Spanish  Fork 
Canon,  the  point  of  departure  from  the  Utah  Valley, 
whence,  beginning  the  ascent  up  the  Spanish  Fork 
River,  we  pass  through  a  picturesque  canon,  bordered 
by  receding  mountains  and  rocky  walls.  The  train 
moves  slower  and  slower  as  we  climb  the  steeps,  but  a 
forty-mile  ride  brings  us  in  due  time  to  Soldier  Sum- 
mit at  an  elevation  of  seven  thousand  five  hundred 
feet.  Descending  from  the  height,  we  soon  find  our- 
selves in  the  remarkable  canon  of  the  Price  Kiver. 
This  we  follow  for  fifty  miles,  and  to  within  a  short 
distance  of  its  mouth,  where  it  empties  into  the 
Green. 

The  scenery  along  the  river  is  not  only  peculiar, 
but  really  bewildering.  One  becomes  so  accustomed 
to  certain  natural  forms  that  when  approaching  a  new 
mountain  or  river  scene,  he  expects  a  recurrence  of 
certain  configurations  with  which  his  senses  have  be- 
come familiarized;  but  now  he  is  suddenly  confronted 
by  contours  and  colors  for  which  he  had  never  stipu- 
lated in  his  anticipation,  and  is  therefore  utterly  con- 
founded by  the  strange  combinations,  of  novelty, 


FROM    THE    JORDAN    TO    THE    UNCOMPAHGRE.        225 


CASTLE    GATE. 


beauty  and  sublimity  which  are  here  presented.  The 
Price  Eiver  madly  dashes  "and  foams  among  the  rocks 
at  his  side,  and  the  walls  of  the  canon  rise  more  ab- 
rupt and  menacing  as  the  descent  continues.  The 
15 


226  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

canon,  too,  grows  deeper,  the  train  crosses  and  re- 
crosses  the  winding  stream,  there  is  a  premonition  that 
something  is  coming,  and  the  traveler  is  kept  in  con- 
stant suspense.  Nearly  every  passenger  throws  aside 
his  object  of  diversion  within  to  see  what  is  brewing 
without.  Windows  are  thrown  up,  heads  projected 
and  platforms  crowded.  What  means  the  commotion  ? 
Presently  the  mystery  is  resolved,  and  we  behold  in 
front  of  us  the  majestic  pillars  of  Castle  Gate,  com- 
manding the  entrance  to  Castle  Canon.  Two  massive 
walls  of  red-stained  granite  rear  themselves  to  a  height 
on  one  side  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  and  on  the  other 
five  hundred  feet  —  walls  that  might  be  supposed  to 
have  been  built  by  human  art,  but  of  such  magnificent 
proportions  that  one  can  not  but  feel  that  human  en- 
terprise would  be  unequal  to  the  task.  But  wonderful 
as  it  is,  and  regarded,  as  it  often  is,  the  climax  of  the 
scenes  along  the  canon  of  the  Price  River,  it  appealed 
to  the  writer's  sense  as  a  felicitous  introduction  to  still 
greater  marvels  beyond. 

The  phenomena  which  greet  the  tourist  in  Castle 
Canon  are  so  unique,  unexpected  and  unheard-of  that 
he  can  only  gaze  and  exclaim :"  unaccountable !"  Here 
he  sees  what  may  be  easily  likened  to  the  Roman  Col- 
iseum, or  the  ruins  of  Luxor  and  Baalbec.  Carried 
back  to  feudal  times,  we  have  unmistakably  the 
strong-holds  of  the  feudal  lords  with  their  moats  and 
battlements,  their  heights  and  magnitudes,  which  Scott 
in  his  stately  language  so  delights  to  describe.  Here 
indeed  are  kingdoms  and  commonwealths  honeycombed 
with  royal  edifices,  As  we  ride  for  two  hours  through 


FROM    THE    JORDAN    TO    THE    UNCOMrAHGliE.        227 

these  mystic  confines,  we  discover  in  the  course  of  the 
journey,  walls  and  parapets  beyond  which  the  imagin- 
ation converts  the  grotesque  forms  of  rock  into  pro- 
jecting tops  of  castles,  cathedrals,  temples  and  Babel 
towers.  To  the  right,  before  reaching  Green  River 
station,  in  the  distance,  are,  to  all  appearances,  perpen- 


UNCOMPAHGRE    RIVER. 


dicular  walls,  immense  squares  and  blocks  of  hewn 
stone  —  manifold  configurations  that  are  easily  con- 
verted into  military  fortifications,  church  spires  and 
domes  —  in  fact,  almost  any  species  of  architecture  the 
mind  would  recall,  from  Gothic  to  Egyptian,  from 
Queen  Anne  to  Yahoo. 

Castle  Canon  is  a  veritable  wonderland,  unique  in 


228  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

that  its  mountain-height,  rocky  formations  approach  so 
closely  in  form  to  the  architectural  designs  of  man. 
These  are  not  entirely  of  a  fantastic  order,  for  we  find 
outlines  of  seeming  geometrical  accuracy.  There  are 
vast  mesas  of  rock,  .resembling  blocks  of  buildings  in 
the  form  of  oblong  squares  or  circles,  rising  perpen- 
dicularly from  massive  abutments,  several'hundred  feet 
in  height  and  with  tops  apparently  as  level  as  a  bill- 
iard table.  Then  we  see  avenues  of  buildings  laid  out 
like  so  many  gigantic  adobe  dwellings,  forming  a  Mex- 
ican municipality  on  an  extraordinary  scale,  with 
plazas  and  palaces  added. 

Sluggish,  indeed,  is  the  imagination  that  can  view 
this  strange  phenomena  without  drawing  from  the  re- 
markable formations  a  host  of  similitudes  of  human 
handicraft.  In  other  parts  of  the  country  we  find  sim- 
ilar rock  formations,  but  nowhere,  extending  over  so 
great  a  terrritory,  are  there  such  striking  architectural 
designs,  such  rock-hewn  cities,  such  stupendous  mag- 
nitudes, such  unrivaled  sublimity. 

As  the  sun  sets  over  the  western  peaks  a  scene  of 
indescribable  beauty  transfigures  the  castellated  walls 
and  towers  that  stand  so  bold  and  black  against  the 
clear-cut  sky.  My  traveling  companion  now  gets  into 
one  of  his  enthusiastic  moods,  and  earnestly  maintains 
that  the  castle  of  Torquilston  has  either  been  resur- 
rected from  the  dusky  past  and  reinstated  here  on  the 
western  desert,  or  else  Scott  had  this  in  mind  from 
the  beginning.  For  he  declares  that  he  can  catch 
through  the  gloaming  a  glimpse  of  the  Jewess  Ee- 
becca,  standing  on  the  high  parapet  in  stately  mien, 


FROM   THE    JORDAN   TO    THE    UNCOMPAHGRE.        229 

welcoming  the  dizzy  depth  below  as  an  escape  from  the 
brutal  templar,  Bois  Guilbert.  As  the  sun  sinks 
closer  to  the  mountain-top,  its  reflecting  beams  set  *this 
same  castle  ablaze,  and  now  we  have  the  transcendent 


ON    THE    RESERVATION. 

scene  of  a  vast  conflagration  far  in  the  distant  hori- 
zon. The  Secretary  protests  that  he  now  sees  the 
maniacal  Ulrici,  just  as  Scott  describes  her,  in  the 
guise  of  one  of  the  furies,  with  long,  disheveled  hair 
flowing  from  her  naked  head,  her  arms  tossing  in  wild 


230  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE   WEST. 

exultation  as  if  she  reigned  empress  of  the  conflagra- 
tion she  had  raised.  I  objected  to  all  this  as  over- 
drawn; but  he  would  not  yield  an  iota,  asseverating 
that  it  was  all  there.  Former  experiences  had  taught 
me  the  indiscretion  of  interfering  with  his  mental 
recreations,  and  as  I  had  myself  found  in  these  rock- 
formed  prodigies  so  many  suggestions  of  the  strange 
and  incredible,  it  was  poorly  in  place  to  attempt  to  dis- 
possess my  comrade  of  these  delusions,  if  such  they 
were. 

The  west-bound  tourist  over  the  Denver  &  Kio 
Grande  is  signally  favored  in  the  time-card  arrange- 
ments, which  admits  of  seeing  the  greatest  objects  of 
interest  throughout  the  length  of  the  main  line  by  day. 
Just  as  we  had  passed  the  land  of  castle  wonders, 
darkness,  heavy  eyelids,  and  somewhat  overwrought 
imaginations,  all  advised  retirement  and  rest,  which 
came  most  refreshingly. 

At  about  three  o'clock  the  following  morning,  we 
were  waked  according  to  orders  to  disembark  at  Mon- 
trose— -  the  only  stop-off  that  we  made  from  Salt  Lake 
to  Colorado  Springs.  The  motives  inspiring  the  self- 
sacrifice  implied  in  the  mention  of  this  early  hour 
were  none  other  than  those  of  personal  friendship.  A 
man  must  indeed  have  a  strong  hold  on  the  writer's  af- 
fection to  make  possible  such  an  infraction  of  his  long 
fossilized  practices.  After  restlessly  wearing  out  the 
balance  of  the  night  and  breakfasting  at  the  hotel,  we 
were  met  by  our  old  friend,  F.  D.  Catlin,  Esq.,  the 
County  Judge,  and  one  of  the  progressive  young  men 
of  the  west.  Hospitality  runs  riot  in  Colorado,  and 


FROM   THE    JORDAN   TO    THE   UNCOMPAHGRE.        231 

the  delightful  way  these  days  at  Montrose  were  va- 
riously occupied,  in  grateful  rest  at  the  elegant  resi- 
dence of  our  friend,  driving  about  on  the  plains  and 
among  the  mountains,  overhauling  the  past  and  mak- 
ing the  living  present  interesting  to  the  fleet  coyote 
and  the  bounding  roebuck,  is  simply  mirabile  dictu. 

Montrose  is  a  most  promising  town  of  one  thous- 
and five  hundred  inhabitants,  situated  in  the  fertile 
Uncompahgre  Valley,  once  the  favorite  hunting  ground 
of  the  Utes.  The  town  is  romantically  situated  in 
sight  of  the  Eockies, whose  snowy  summits  gleam  in  the 
morning  sun,  far  to  the  east.  At  the  south  are  the  San 
Juan  Mountains,  towering  heaven-high  and  guarded 
by  the  two  Titan  sentinels,  Sneffles  and  Uncompahgre, 
both  of  which  are  over  fourteen  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea.  On  the  west  are  the  Uncompahgre  plateaus 
and  peaks  that  extend  far  into  limitless  space,  until 
broken  by  the  canon  of  the  Grand  River,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  away.  Everything  in  nature  about 
Montrose  is  wild  and  weird,  and  the  tourist  who  would 
obtain  one  of  the  best  pictures  of  contrast  with  eastern 
towns  will  find  a  brief  stop-off  in  the  Uncompahgre 
Valley  a  pleasant  incident  of  his  transcontinental  tour. 


CHAPTEK  XV. 

OVER  THE  ROCKIES— MONTROSE  TO  MANITOU. 

Taking  leave  of  the  Judge  and  his  entertaining 
family  who  had  made  our  visit  to  Montrose  an  occa- 
sion of  uninterrupted  pleasure,  we  again  repaired  to 
the  iron  track  that  is  sure  transport  to 

"The  mountains' everlasting  wall 
Where  the  thunders  waters  fall," 
to 

"Beauties  that  elude  the  grasp," 
to 

"Gleams  and  glorious  seen  and  lost." 

The  morning  ride,  however,  was  one  of  modest  pre- 
tention.  There  were  no  overpowering  flights  of  nature 
and  hence  nothing  imperative  to  report,  unless  it  be 
the  mental  uneasiness  of  an  old  lady  in  the  seat  just 
in  front  of  us,  who,  whenever  the  train  was  about  to  pull 
out  from  the  station,  was  constantly  worried  for  fear 
the  conductor  might  get  left  behind.  From  Montrose 
Vlie  road  winds  for  some  distance  along  the  Uncom- 
pahgre  Yalley.  The  first  station  of  importance  is 
Cimarron,  at  the  junction  of  the  Cimarron  Creek  and 
Gunnison  Kiver,  a  noted  hunting  and  trout  region,  the 
breakfast  station  and  the  point  at  which  the  open 
observation  car  is  attached  to  the  train.  To  the  latter 
we  repaired  after  repairing  the  wasted  tissue  incident 
to  the  long  before-breakfast  ride.  Such  a  deserving 
meal  as  is  set  before  the  traveler  at  Gimarron  should 

233 


234  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

not  be  passed  by  unnoticed.  Wild  game  and  trout  and 
excellent  cuisine  generally,  constituted  the  bill  of  fare. 
The  tourist  who  so  far  forgets  himself  as  to  take  it  for 
granted  that  he  is  in  a  cowless  region  of  the  remote 
west  and  calls  for  sky  blue  milk  without  minnows,  is 
surprised  to  find  his  order  responded  to  by  a  glowing 
goblet  of  creamy  nectar,  containing  neither  a  trace  of 
struggling  life  nor  a  "reflection  of  heaven's  own  blue." 
Everything  else  is  of  the  same  order,  and  in  fact  all 
the  eating  stations  on  the  line  reflect  credit  upon  their 
management. 

The  Black  Canon  extends  fromCimarron  to  Sapinero, 
at  the  latter  place  the  observation  car  being  detached. 
The  elements  constituting  the  distinctive  features  of 
this  canon  are  the  perpendicularity  of  its  walls,  their 
extraordinary  height,  which  in  places  is  from  two  to 
three  thousand  feet,  and  the  no  less  extraordinary 
length  through  which  the  remarkable  phenomenon 
prevails,  being  nearly  twenty  miles  in  extent.  Added 
to  these  are  the  beautifully  polished  pink-painted  sur- 
faces of  rock,  and  the  peculiar  configurations  of  the 
lines  of  separation,  which,  are  variously  smooth, 
straight,  contorted,  twis-ted  and  tied  in  knots.  There 
is  also  the  wild  scene  in  the  bed  of  the  deep  sea-green 
river,  where  its  foam-crested  waters  surge  and  rave, 
leaping  into  the  air,  dashing  against  the  vermillion 
walls  and  tearing  about  with  reckless  indifference  to 
everything  in  its  way. 

Among  the  landmarks  of  the  Black  Canon  are  Chip- 
peta  Falls,  that  leap  over  the  rocky  walls  of  the  canon, 
the  sport  of  winds,  much  after  the  manner  of  the  Yose- 


236  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF   THE    WEST. 

mite  Cascades,  and  Currecanti  Needle.  The  latter  is 
a  conical  tower  somewhat  in  relief  from  the  walls  of 
the  river  and  appearing  to  the  observer  like  a  massive 
obelisk  rising  out  of  the  depths.  Its  lower  proportions 
are  such  that  its  true  loftiness  is  obscured  by  the  mas- 
siveness  of  the  base.  It  is,  however,  none  the  less 
deserving  of  minute  attention  and  if  time  admitted,  of 
careful  study.  It  is  of  pink-red  color  and  the  sub- 
stance of  the  rock  forming  it,  like  the  walls  of  the 
canon,  are  of  extreme  hardness. 

Some  distance  beyond  the  Black  Canon  is  the 
delightfully  situated  town  of  Gunnison,  commanding 
scenery  of  marked  beauty  in  the  Eockies.  From 
this  point  a  few  hours  ride  along  the  beautiful  valley 
of  the  Tomichi  Kiver  brings  us  to  the  steep  grade  that 
leads  up  to  the  back-bone  of  the  country — the  summit 
of  the  Eocky  mountains,  variously  denominated  the 
"dome,"  "crest"  and  vertebral  column"  of  the  continent. 
Here  is  the  Great  Divide  and  the  melting  snows  close 
by  diverge,  one  portion  making  its  way  towards  the 
Pacific,  the  other  seeking  the  far  Atlantic.  As  we 
ascend  in  tortuous  curves,  peak  rises  above  peak  in 
front  of  us  until,  at  the  summit,  called  Marshall  Pass, 
nearly  11,000  feet  above  the  sea  we  catch,  on  emerg-' 
ing  from  the  snow  sheds,  a  passing  conception  of  what 
constitutes  the  upper  Eockies  —  numberless  peaks, 
countless  domes,  an  infinity  of  undulating  waves,  fixed 
as  the  foundations  of  the  earth  in  which  they  are  set. 
At  certain  points  011  the  western  slope  four  distinct 
lines  of  the  railroads  are  plainly  seen.  Some  idea  of 
the  difficulties  encountered  in  overcoming  this  highest 


IN    THE    BLACK    CANON. 


238  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF   THE    WEST. 

barrier  of  the  Rockies  may  be  conceived  from  the  fact 
that  in  places  we  ride  a  mile  or  more  to  gain  a  dozen 
rods,  the  steepest  part  of  the  ascent  having  a  grade  of 
220  feet.  Descending  on  the  opposite  side  towards  the 
valley  of  the  Arkansas,  grand  vistas  of  mountain 
scenery  open  up  before  the  expectant  observer.  Dark- 
visaged  Ouray  rises  bold  and  aggressive  to  the  north 
while  the  snowy  peaks  of  the  Sangre  de  Christo  undu- 
late along  the  southern  sky  until  lost  in  the  far 
horizon. 

At  Salida,  the  junction  of  the  "  Leadville  Branch," 
a  passenger  from  the  far-famed  mining  town  boards 
the  train  and  reports  the  strange  providence  which, 
but  the  day  before  had  swept  a  citizen  of  Leadville 
into  eternity  by  the  bursting  of  a  boiler,  and  that  too, 
while  the  victim  was  indulging  in  profanity.  But  it 
was  argued  that  this  was  110  providential  occurrence 
whatever,  since  a  bursting  boiler  could  never  get  in  its 
work  on  a  Leadville  man  between  his  oaths. 

But  what  next?  As  the  clown  said,  "Something 
else,"  and  it  is  something  else,  and  something  else  re- 
markable all  the  way,  Now,  as  we  fly  along  the  road- 
bed beyond  Poncha  and  Salida,  noted  health  and  pleas- 
ure resorts  cheerfully  nestled  among  the  mountains, 
we  are  hurried  down  into  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Ar- 
kansas. Here  the  Collegiate  Range  of  mountains  falls 
into  the  panoramic  line  of  passing  scenes — their 
highest  peaks,  Harvard,  Princeton  and  Yale,  lifting 
their  whitened  helmets  over  14,000  feet  in  air.  The 
scenery  all  along  the  canon  is  marked  with  striking 
features,  but  the  climax  is  only  reached  with  the  Royal 


CURRECANTI    NEEDLE. 


240       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

Gorge.  The  whole  canon  is  a  melodramatic  sermon, 
seven  miles  long;  but  so  well-conceived  and  such  a 
masterpiece  of  eloquence  that  the  audience  is  held  in 
close  attention  to  the  last.  The  emerald  waters  of  the 
Arkansas  foam  and  rave  in  the  terrible  depths — the 
rubicund  walls  rise  bold  and  threatening  into  the  ap- 
palling heights.  As  the  train  advances  the  observer 
is  more  interested  and  more  spell-bound,  until  break- 
ing suddenly  upon  his  rapt  senses,  the  awe-inspiring 
chasm  springs  into  full  view.  Emotion  reigns  with 
high  hand  and  holds  its  reckless  carnival  in  defiance 
of  all  efforts  at  self-control.  Here  we  plunge  down 
into  a  deep  dark  chasm,  hemmed  in  by  crimson  walls 
of  granite — down,  down  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth, 

"  Where  Tartarus  with  sheer  descent, 
Dips  'neath  the  ghost- wo  rid  twice  as  deep 
As  towers  above  Earth's  continent, 
The  heights  of  heaven's1  Olympian  steep." 

"  In  front  a  portal  stands  displayed, 
On  adamantine  columns  stayed  ; 
Nor  mortal,  nor  immortal  foe, 
These  massy  gates  can  overthrow." 

Forward  and  downward  we  shoot,  one  thousand,  now 
two,  yes,  almost  three  thousand  feet  below  the  top  of 
the  fissure,  until  Erebus  seems  close  at  hand,  until 
reason'  is  dethroned  by  delusion,  sense  by  hallucination, 
and  we  almost  involuntarily  make  the  effort  to  be  rec- 
onciled to  the  situation,  and  lay  plans  for  a  prospect- 
ive tour  through  the  infernal  realms. 

My  traveling  companion  observes  that  if  this  really 
is  the  entrance  to  Tartarus,  "  How  about  the  old  fel- 


242  GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF   THE    WEST. 

lows  Theseus  and  Salmoneus,  respectively,  the  rest- 
less adventurer  and  the  hustling  counterfeiter  of  Jove's 
thunder,  who  are  said  to  be  having  a  hard  time  of  it 
in  the  nether  world?  Do  you  suppose  we'll  see  'em?" 
This  was  one  of  the  Secretary's  overcharges  of  enthus- 
iasm in  which  he  always  contemplates  somewhat  more 
than  he  can  show  for  in  the  scene  itself.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  however,  the  opposite  picture — some  of  the 
scenes  in  the  pleasure  department  of  that  lower  world 
so  pleasingly  set  forth  by  the  Prince  of  Latin  poets,  is 
fairly  well  reproduced  in  the  region  entered  through 
the  Royal  Gorge.  The  happily  situated  and  scenery-in- 
vested Canon  City  is  now  reached,  and  soon  Pueblo, 
whence  a  short  ride  brings  us  to  Colorado  Springs, 
Pike's  Peak,  Manitou  and  the  Garden  of  the  Gods— 
or  if  you  please  Virgil's  Elysian  Fields.  We  may 
adopt  Dry  den's  version  with  a  little  alteration  and 
scarcely  go  amiss  in  our  application ;  for  here  we  merge 
from  the  chasm,  where, 

"  Wide  is  the  fronting  gate  and  raised  on  high, 
With  adamantine  columns,  threats  the  sky." 

From  this  auspicious  exit  our  iron  horse  makes  its 

way, 

"  Where  long  extended  plains  of  pleasure  lie, 
Where  verdant  fields  with  those  of  heaven  vie, 
With  ether  vested  and  a  purple  sky  ; 
Where  airy  limbs  in  sport  may  exercise, 
And  on  the  green,  contend  the  wrestler's  prize. 
Some  in  heroic  verse  divinely  sing, 
Others  in  artful  measures  lead  the  ring. 
Here  patriots  live,  who,  for  their  country's  good, 
In  fighting  fields  were  prodigal  of  blood. 
Here  blameless  men  are  wont  to  seek  abode 
And  poets  worthy  their  aspiring  God." 


ROYAL    GORGE. 


244  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE   WEST. 

Like  the  realms  described,  the  population  of  these 
delightful  retreats  is  cosmopolitan,  and  the  graces  and 
amenities  of  the  cultured  portions  of  the  world  are 

honorably  represented,  from 
the  scholar  who  can  converse 
in  seven  languages  to  the 
wit  who  can  hold  his  tongue 
in  seventeen. 

Among  the  interesting 
places  near  Manitou  and 
Pike's  Peak  are  "Glen  Ey- 
rie/' "  Seven  Falls,"  "  Chey- 
enne Mountain,"  "  Seven 
Lakes,"  "  Crystal  Park," 
"Ruxton's  Glen,"  "Bed 
Kock  Canon,"  "  Manitou 
Grand  Caverns,"  "  William's 
Canon,"  "Cave  of  the 
A  REFRESHING  ^SPRING,  CASCADE  Winds,"  "  Eainbow  Falls," 

"Ute     Pass,"    "Cascade 

Canon,"  Green  Mountain  Falls,"  and  "  Manitou  Park." 
North  and  South  Cheyenne  Canons  are  about  ten 
miles  south  of  Manitou  and  possess  rare  attractions  in 
the  way  of  mountain  scenery.  In  South  Cheyenne 
Canon  are  the  "  Seven  Falls,"  and,  near  by,  the  Chey- 
enne toll  road  that  leads  to  the  "  Seven  Lakes."  A 
short  distance  from  the  "  Seven  Falls,"  sequestered  in 
one  of  nature's  favorite  sanctuaries,  is  the  grave  of 
the  illustrious  author  of  Ramon  a. 

Cascade  Canon,  Green  Mountain  Falls  and  Mani- 
tou Park  are  now  reached  from  either  Colorado 


246 


GRAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 


Springs  or  Manitou  by  the  Colorado  Midland  Bail- 
way,  which  traverses  the  Ute  Pass,  amid  wild  scenery, 
and  brings  within  easy  access  a  number  of  noted  places 
of  interest.  Stage  connections  are  made  at  Green  Moun- 
tain Falls  Station  with  Manitou  Park,  a  distance  of 


OVER    THE    ROCKIES. 


247 


THE    BALANCED    ROCK. 


seven  miles.  These  cheerful  summer  resorts,  invested 
with  so  much  that  is  romantic  and  pleasing,  have  of 
late  been  growing  in  public  favor,  and  are  now  much 
frequented  by  visitors  from  abroad.  From  Cascade 
Canon  a  fine  carriage  road  has  been  built  to  the  sum- 

^ 

mit  of  Pike's  Peak,  making  the  ascent  of  this  mon- 
arch of  the  mountains  a  mere  pastime.  At  the  Half- 
way House  and  on  the  summit,  refreshments  are 
served  to  both  man  and  beast.  A  short  distance  above 
the  Half-way  House  is  the  "  Balanced  Bock,"  weigh- 


248  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES    OF    THE    WEST. 

ing  tons,  and  the  Devil's  Leap,"  a  noted  precipice  half 
a  mile  high.  A  few  miles  further  on  at  Grand  View, 
under  a  favoring  atmosphere,  may  be  seen  Marshall 
Pass,  ninety  miles  distant,  and  the  black  columns  of 
smoke  rising  from  the  laboring  engines  as  they  pull 
over  the  grade.  The  outlook  from  Grand  View  and 
the  summit  (when. the  latter  is  not  obscured  by  clouds) 
includes  one  of  the  finest  panoramas  of  the  West,  pre- 
senting scenes  of  unsurpassed  grandeur,  to  be  enjoyed 
by  the  spectator,  but  beyond  the  pale  of  description. 
The  Grand  Caverns  are  also  reached  by  a  carriage 
road  extending  to  near  the  summit  of  one  of  the  lesser 
peaks  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Manitou,  being  but 
a  mile  or  two  from  the  town  and  near  the  Ute  Pass. 
About  the  same  distance  up  Williams  Canon  is  another 
of  these  marvelous  caverns  where  stalactite  and  stalag- 
mite formations,  glistening  like  polished  horn,  array 
themselves  into  the  form  of  animals,  fruits  and  flowers, 
and  various  works  of  art.  The  resemblance  in  some 
cases  is  so  striking  that  the  tourist  almost  suspects 
that  human  art  is  being  passed  as  nature's  caprice. 
.Closer  inspection,  however,  of  these  wonderful  floral  and 
other  artistic  designs,  into  which  nature  has  so  cleverly 
woven  her  matchless  frost-work,  reveals  a  beauty  so 
consummate  and  a  workmanship  so  masterly  that  doubt 
can  no  longer  be  entertained  as  to  their  origin. 

Among  the  wonders  in  the  vicinity  of  Manitou,  the 
'  Garden  of  the  Gods '  is  generally  conceded  a  place 
at  the  head.  But  some  find  far  more  of  interest  in  the 
strange  phenomena  than  others.  There  is  so  much 
that  is  complex,  varied  and  diversified  that  the  average 


250  GRAPHIC   SKETCHES   OF   THE   WEST. 

visitor  is  greatly  perplexed.  When  it  is  considered 
that  over  an  area  of  five  hundred  acres,  and  pro- 
jecting to  nearly  all  heights  up  to  four  hundred  feet, 
rise  an  indefinite  number  of  rose-colored  mounds, 
monuments  and  gigantic  monoliths,  assuming  almost 
every  conceivable  attitude,  and  presenting  grotesque 
figures  never  conceived  by  the  caricaturist,  it  must  be 
admitted  that  we  have  encountered  a  veritable  freak  of 
nature.  There  are  at  least  the  elements  of  novelty 
and  mystery,  and  if  we  stand  within  the  crimson  por- 
tals of  the  famous  gates  and  view  the  snow-crowned 
Titan  of  the  Rockies,  or  direct  the  gaze  to  any  quar- 
ter of  the  horizon,  we  must  also  add  the  higher  ele- 
ment of  sublimity. 

But  it  is  not  within  the  province  of  the  writer's 
aim  or  the  possibilities  of  his  pen  to  fitly  describe 
these  romantic,  scenery-intoxicating  realms  of  myths 
and  mysteries.  To  say  that  Colorado  Springs  is 
one  of  the  most  attractive  towns  in  the  region  of 
the  Rockies,  to  dwell  upon  the  wholesome  breadth 
of  its  thoroughfares  and  the  luxuriant  shade  in 
which  they  are  embowered — to  enlarge  upon  its 
scenic  attractions — to  set  forth  the  glory  that  clusters 
about  mystic  Manitou,  the  Garden  of  the  Gods  and  their 
wild  environments — all  this  would  be  little  to  the  pur- 
pose. These  places  must  be  seen  to  be  duly  estimated 
and  truly  appreciated.  So  too  with  the  wonderful  cav- 
erns where  nature  seems  to  have  made  the  effort,  in 
some  sportive  mood,  to  mimic  both  human  and  barbaric 
art  and  where  sweet  music  responds  to  the  faint  touch 
of  her  calcium  harpsichord.  Equally  unsatisfactory  is 


OVER    THE   ROCKIES. 


251 


the  vain  attempt  to  detail  the  virtues  of  healing 
springs,  the  fascination  of  canons  and  pleasure-para- 
dises and  the  strange  historical  associations  that  make 
them  enchanted  ground.  The  weak  media  of  human 


ROCK  FORMATIONS,  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS. 


thought  can  not  grasp  the  changing  forms,  the  Protean 
guises,  the  lights  and  shadows,  the  contrasts  and  com- 
plements— the  strange  blending  of  colors.  It  matters 
not  with  what  fidelity  the  picture  is  drawn;  all  said 
and  done  and  the  grand  galaxy  of  Nature's  train  of 


252  GBAPHIC    SKETCHES    OF   THE   WEST. 

kaleidoscopic  melodramas,  remains  a  conception  un- 
conveyed — an  enigma  and  a  mystery  still. 

The  journey  from  Salt  Lake  to  Manitou — from  the 
valley  of  the  Jordan  to  the  valley  of  the  Arkansas — 
from  Mount  Nebo  to  Pike's  Peak — is  one  unprece- 
dented in  the  amount  and  variety  of  novel,  unique  and 
wonderful  natural  phenomena.  We  call  it  natural, 
because  it  is  of  nature,  but  much  of  it  is  so  removed 
from  preconceived  conceptions  that  it  might  be  fit- 
tingly termed  unnatural.  The  tourist  is  constantly  in 
a  state  of  surprise  and  mingled  astonishment,  at  times 
distrusting  his  own  senses.  The  idea  of  seeing  a  vast 
amphitheatre,  an  imposing  citadel  or  a  colossal  relic  of 
ancient  architecture,  chiseled  out  by  wind  and  tide 
and  so  nearly  conforming  to  human  art,  is,  to  say  the 
least,  a  matter  of  wonder.  And  then  to  view  along  a 
line  of  nearly  seven  hundred  miles  unrivaled  mountain 
and  valley  scenery,  to  watch  the  fantastic  phases  of 
earth  and  sky,  ride  through  gorgeous  canons,  survey 
dizzy  heights  and  lofty  pinnacles  and  study  the  walls 
and  bastions  and  battlements,  where 

"  Huge  piers  and  frowning  forms  of  gods  sustain 
The  everlasting  arches,  dark  and  wide—" 

this,  indeed,  is  employment  fit  for  the  gods  themselves. 
The  spell  of  these  enchantments  may  be ,  gradually 
broken  but  the  impressions  made  are  not  to  be  ef- 
faced. Such  an  experience  carries  with  it  more  than 
momentary  excitement,  more  than  the  ephemeral  en- 
tertainment of  the  short  journey,  furnishing,  as  it 
does,  both  matter  and  inspiration  for  thought  and 
study.  The  whole  phenomenon  is  an  open  volume 


GATEWAY  TO  THE  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS. 


254       GRAPHIC  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WEST. 

"  Telling  of  time  in  the  primeval  morn 
When  beast  and  man  yet  slumbered  in  the  ground, 
When  sentient  life  lay  in  the  dust  unborn, 
And  wind  and  wave  rolled  on  in  ceaseless  round ; 

"  Of  ancient  epochs  and  of  glaciers  gone, 
Of  rocks,  abraded  as  the  ages  waned, 
Of  times  when  earth  became  a  floral  lawn, 
And  all  the  chiselings  through  cycles  gained." 

There  is,  too,  the  moral,  as  well  as  the  reflective 
phase,  since  these  revelations  of  the  rocks  can  not  but 
awaken  a  solemn  awe  and  emotions  of  reverence.  They 
teach  the  littleness  and  weakness  of  man,  the  folly 
of  his  finery  and  the  poverty  of  his  pomp  and  splendor. 
Such  grand  exhibitions  of  nature  also  widen  the  field 
of  vision  and  give  broader  conceptions  of  the  world. 
They  enlarge  the  mental  horizon  and  with  it  the  view 
of  life.  Trifles  and  petty  annoyances,  which  make  up 
the  average  lot  of  misery,  are  unprivileged  intruders 
in  the  royal  presence  of  these  sublimer  thoughts. 


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